Escaping
by Closet Adventuralist
Summary: Mina Calloway is running from her past, hiding out as a teacher for Professor Xavier. However, her past doesn't seem to want to remain buried, leaving the people she most wants to protect vulnerable. Logan/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So, school is out, and I'm back to writing. Here's a little plot bunny that's been working through my mind since I heard the new Origins movie was being made. (I know, a really long time to wait) Anyways, this one is kind of a tester, so let me know what you think. Reviews=Love!**

Mina Calloway sat in front of Professor Xavier's mahogany desk, nervously bouncing her heeled foot. She had come to him to ask for help, something she didn't do very often, and she was beginning to remember why. The pregnant pause between them only seemed to stretch on, filling her with trepidation and anxiety. The feelings weren't exactly unknown to her, but they were nonetheless uncomfortable. After a few more moments, she'd finally had enough.

"I see that I've asked too much, I'll just see myself out. Thank you for your time," she said as she rose, flinging her coat over her arm. If he couldn't help her, she'd just have to figure out a solution on her own. It wouldn't be the first time she'd had to rely on herself, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Do sit down, Ms. Calloway. I haven't given you an answer as of yet," Professor Xavier replied, his gentle voice urging her back to her seat. "Now, I believe I can help you, but I have to know that your…previous activities are going to be left behind. You see, I cannot endanger my students."

"I think I can agree to that," Mina smiled, "Besides, it's not like anyone would hire me now." Her smile was not returned, but she thought she saw a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Does that mean," she cleared her throat, "You'll let me stay?"

Finally, a smile spread across Professor Xavier's mouth, "Yes, it does. I happen to have a room you may use in the teacher's quarters. Walk with me."

He wheeled from around his desk, the door to his office opening with the press of a button. Mina rose obediently, smoothing the wrinkles in her only skirt, and followed the Professor down a long, wood-lined hall. Classes were in session—it was early morning on a Wednesday—and the only sound she could hear was the sharp click of her heels and the cool whirring of the Professor's chair.

"You understand, I will expect for you to take on a few classes," he said casually.

Mina stopped, nearly choking in her surprise. "Excuse me?"

Professor Xavier continued to move past her and she had to skip forward a little just to catch up. "I have two classes that need to be taught—at ten and eleven, before lunch. Jean has been covering them, but she needs time to work with another project." They entered an elevator and Professor Xavier pressed a button, the doors closing in front of them, locking Mina into a situation she wasn't confident she could edge around.

"I'm not qualified," she barked, "I would probably do more harm than good, don't you think?"

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," he replied serenely. The doors opened and Mina stepped out behind him, bewildered by the fact that he was asking her to teach. When had her plea for a hideout become a job interview? "The classes are more like study halls than actual lectures. All you have to do is make sure they keep to their books and you'll be fine."

Mina stared at him sideways as she walked, incredulous and confused. "That's it? Babysitting?" She hadn't done that in years, and from what she could remember, she wasn't exactly good at it.

The professor turned a corner and indicated a closed door. Mina flicked her gaze from the door, to him, and then back again before reaching down to turn the knob. "I look forward to seeing you in the teacher's meeting next week," he said, turning his chair around. "You may have the rest of the week and the weekend to settle in. I will inform Jean that you will be taking over her classes starting next week. I'm sure you'll fit right in." And then he was gone, leaving Mina sitting on her new bed, utterly befuddled as to how she'd gotten there.

She fingered the edge of the blanket, noting the thread count almost subconsciously. The room was sparsely decorated, a wardrobe and nightstand serving as the only other furniture. And yet every piece of furniture was made of finely crafted wood, including the bed. Mina sighed; it was the best accommodations she'd had since…well, since before she'd been forced into unemployment.

Swallowing back the memories, Mina pushed to her feet and stepped out into the hallway. Looking both ways, she spotted a staircase and decided that now, while everyone was in class, would probably be the best time to move her stuff from the foyer to her room.

Descending the stairs, she watched carefully for oncoming traffic, hoping not to be spotted just yet. She wasn't ready for the barrage of questions that would undoubtedly come with the arrival of a stranger. If not for the streaming sunlight, she might have been able to slip into the shadows and escape. As it was, she was a sitting duck in the wide-open, sunlit stairs.

She hopped down the last few steps, made a grab for her bag, and turned to rush back up again, only to be stopped short by a figure standing at the top of the stairs. Instinctively, she tried to pull herself into the shadows—a useless attempt seeing as she was standing in a wide patch of sunlight. Instead, she stared up at him, frozen to the spot, and gaping like a goldfish.

He was an imposing figure, no doubt—and the way he just sort of stared down at her made Mina more than a little uncomfortable. Steeling her resolve, she hefted the bag over her should and placed her foot on the first step, gripping the banister. She eyed him as she ascended, one step at a time, noting the stark contrast of the faded plaid shirt with his dark wash jeans. The material was worn, stretched almost too thin across the broad slope of his shoulders, and she thought she saw a small hole near the hem.

His voice, when he spoke, was gravelly, the tone almost irritated. "Who the hell are you?" he asked curtly.

Mina stopped, one heel hovering over a wooden step, "Calloway, Mina," she said, "I'm new."

He shifted, his hands coming up to grip his hips, "You a student?"

"No," she replied, moving upwards steadily, watching for signs that he was going on the offensive. As she reached the top of the stairs, she slipped around his frame neatly, ignoring the light growl he sent her way. "I'm a teacher." The sentence rolled over her tongue easily, but the thought stuttered in her mind. She was a teacher…responsible for the young minds of her students, God help them. Well, if the Professor was willing to trust her, so should he.

Turning towards her room, she tried to ignore the heat of his gaze on her back as she walked away from him. He had the air of a protector, and she figured he'd be the one she'd have to convince it was her right to be there. Otherwise, she'd be tiptoeing around him until she could get her situation sorted out.

He was still standing in his place at the top of the stairs when Mina reached her door. She gave him a small smile before entering, unnerved at how he leveled the same scrutinizing stare at her, his mouth pressed into a tense line. That settled it, he hated her.

Once inside, she leaned against the door and let out an aggravated breath. Her first day wasn't exactly going well. However, any day that went by where she wasn't literally dodging a bullet was a good day in her book and she wasn't going to let a grumpy coworker interrupt what should have been a victory. She had a place to stay, indefinitely if she could handle teaching, and that best part was that no one had a clue where she was. She could start fresh, with an absolutely clean slate. It was a refreshing feeling, living without the threat of danger lurking over her head. Mina inhaled, releasing her tension on the exhale. Refreshing.

At dinner, Mina sat with Ororo Munroe, a motherly woman whose moods seemed to affect the cloud cover in the area. She introduced Mina to a few of the teachers, guiding her to the teacher's table while commenting on Mina's shoes. "I have a pair like that," she said amiably, "Do your feet feel numb after a couple of hours as well?"

Mina looked down, embarrassed that she really didn't know how typical female conversation went, "I really don't wear them all that often, but I lost feeling about ten minutes in, if that counts for anything." Ororo let out a light, earthy chuckle, indicating for Mina to sit beside her.

"So where are you from?"

Mina stiffened, "Around. I move a lot," she replied evasively. "I haven't really had a permanent home in a long time."

Ororo nodded knowingly, "We all go through that at one time or another." Then, "You don't have to be afraid here, Mina. No one is going to judge you, not here."

Whatever reply Mina could have given was lost as a redheaded woman approached the table and sat down. "Really, Ororo, you'd think they would realize I can see their little plans before they even hatch them!" She placed her hands on the table, taking notice of Mina's wide eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. Hi, I'm Jean." She extended her hand across the table.

"Mina," she replied, taking Jean's cool hand in her own.

"So you're the one taking over my classes. Thank you, by the way. Maybe now I can sleep in a little." She leaned towards Ororo conspiratorially, "Scott's been wanting to spend a little more quality time lately."

Ororo gave a small smile, spooning some yogurt into her mouth, "I imagine that has something to do with Logan coming back." Jean smiled, shaking her head, her hair falling over her eyes.

"He'll get over it eventually."

"Logan, or Scott?" Ororo chuckled, raising one well-groomed eyebrow. "Speaking of the devil…"

Mina glanced past Ororo's gesturing hand to see the dark man from that morning striding into the room. He hadn't changed, except to throw of a leather bomber jacket, his hair windswept away from his face. Mina quickly calculated how long it would take her to make a break for it, given that she was pretty much terrified of him. The feeling was inexplicable, but just looking at him brought up memories best left buried in a cement room, under ten feet of steel, inside a volcano.

He spotted her, his eyes fixing on her face for a moment, before sweeping over the rest of the table. Mina pursed her lips and looked down at her plate, wanting nothing more than to sink into the shadows and avoid facing him. She pushed the food on her plate around, leaning on one elbow. Ororo shared one more look with Jean before turning her attention to Mina.

"What subject are you teaching?" she asked.

"Study hall, I think, thought I really don't know the specifics." She looked to Jean, "You usually teach the class, what do you do during class?"

Jean sipped from a bottle of water, nodding, "Hmm, well, I just keep them quiet, try to help them with whatever homework they have for the week." She munched on a carrot stick thoughtfully. "You know, I'm not exactly sure why the Professor decided to start the classes."

Mina raised her eyebrows, unsure if the declaration was meant kindly or maliciously, but decided to let it go. If she wanted to keep a low profile, feuding with another teacher was not the way to go.

A shadow slid over the table from Jean's left, and Mina looked up to see that the dark man had made his way across the room. He held out a set of keys to Jean, "Give these to Scott, would ya, Jean."

"I'll be sure to let him know you returned the bike safe and sound, Logan," Jean said tightly. Logan nodded, his eyes flicking over Mina's face for a moment before he ambled away from the table. As she watched him go, Mina let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding for almost a full minute.

Ororo rolled her eyes, "Don't worry about Logan, Mina. He's a little weary of strangers."

"I'll say," Mina replied, watching Logan maneuver around the tables, "He didn't seem to like me much this morning."

Jean leaned forward, curling her fingers around the keys in her palm, "You've met already? I thought he only got back this afternoon."

Mina looked down to the hands in her lap, "We've met, briefly. He asked me "who the hell I was' in lieu of introduction." One corner of her mouth lifted in a wry smile, "Not very welcoming."

Jean nodded and Ororo outright laughed, "That sounds like him," she said. "His bark is a lot worse than his bite." At Jean's pointed look, she continued, "Well, most of the time."

Mina caught one last look at Logan's back as he exited the room. She noted, reluctantly, that his jeans were finely made and fit his body very well. If it weren't for the air of quiet fury beneath his skin, he might have been incredibly attractive. As it was, he was merely dangerous. "I hope so," she said finally, knowing in her gut that he was someone who probably should be avoided in the future. He'd tear her to little bits, she knew, if she got in his way.

After dinner, Mina retreated gratefully to her room. The other teachers were nice enough, but so full of questions. It seemed everyone had a story here, everyone had a past that lead them inevitably to the institute. However nice it was to know that she wasn't alone in that one instance, hers wasn't a past she could easily tell—at least, not unless she wanted to have half the faculty issued a death warrant.

As she shrugged out of her skirt and button-down, Mina thought about how luck she really was to be there, alive, with a job and a bed. Two days ago she was sleeping in the back rooms of a church, checking over her shoulder every five minutes to look for Fuller's men. And now… now she might actually be safe for a time.

Sliding beneath the sheets, Mina mentally checked herself. She needed to scope out the school, find all the hidden stairwells and unused hallways, just in case. The Professor couldn't protect her forever, at least not from Fuller. She'd have to make an escape eventually, and she wanted to be ready when that time came.

Mina flicked off the light, vowing to have the place completely mapped out…tomorrow.

**In the next chapter, I swear you'll learn a little more about Mina's past, but please be patient. **


	2. Chapter 2

**As promised, there's a few tidbits in this chapter about Mina's life before coming to the school. And as always, reviews make me want to write faster, so here it is!**

It seemed that finding all the hidden nooks and crannies of the school was going to be more work than she originally thought. Mina circled the main hallways again, noting that the archway to her left led to the cafeteria, and the archway to her right led to the gymnasium. There was one main level for classrooms; Mina had already found her room, and one level for dormitories. Girls and boys were kept on either end of the building, separated by the teachers' rooms.

The art wing was filled with student work, from sculptures to strangely abstract paintings, and the music room reverberated with the strains of the school song. Everything was in perfect order, too perfect. Where was the smoking hallway? Where was the stairwell where everyone went to make-out? She'd gone to high school, she knew these places existed. The students were obviously much more adept at hiding their whereabouts than her peers had been.

Moving outside, Mina made a loop around the building twice, noting the garage for later reference, and the swimming pool in the back. She sighed, running a hand through her auburn hair and turning in a slow circle. Perfect. The place was mapped out like an amusement park, every little thing leading to another. Mina's eyes narrowed… what was she missing?

_My office, Ms. Calloway. There is something I'd like to discuss with you._ Mina nearly screamed when the Professor's voice permeated her thoughts, jarring her from her investigation of a suspicious seam in the side of the building.

Bashfully, she made her way back into the building and to the office of her employer, feeling every bit the child who got their hand caught in the cookie jar. As she raised her hand to knock, the door swung open and Logan came barreling out, a snarl on his lips. He caught her by her wrists before she could hit the ground, his hands holding her body at a prone angle. The heat of his hands seared her skin, pulsing an electric feeling from her arms through her chest, straight down to her toes.

Mina swallowed, her eyes gazing up at him in startled fear. If she had thought him intimidating before, he certainly was ferocious right at this moment. His hair was disheveled, the stubble along his jaw unkempt, and the look in his eyes…eyes that were not softening as he pulled her back to standing. Mina shivered despite the heat of his glare, righting herself as best she could while he mumbled out a coarse apology. He was moving past her while she pulled her shirt to cover an exposed patch of reddening skin.

Professor Xavier called her in, preventing her from staring after Logan until his form turned the corner, a bewildered expression plastered all over her face. Mina shuffled into the office, prepared to give excuses for her snooping, but stopped short when the Professor raised a hand.

"I didn't call you here to reprimand you. Please, sit." He leaned forward, resting his palms on the desk in front of him. "Allow me to apologize for Logan's behavior, he is dealing with some rather disconcerting issues and is not sure how to handle them as of the moment. I am sorry if he has made you feel unwelcome." He gazed at her for a moment, and Mina felt a light tingle run from the base of her skull to the small of her back.

Mina stiffened, "I would appreciate it if you'd stay out of my mind, Professor."

He chuckled, "I'm sorry," he replied, and Mina smirked at the light tinge of pink rising to his cheeks. "I sometimes forget how perceptive you are."

"I bet," Mina said, waiting for him to get to the point. When he did not further the conversation, she looked away, focusing on the trees outside the window. If she could get it open, she would be able to make the jump to the outer-most branch and shimmy down to the bottom.

"So, how are you finding our grounds," Xavier said casually.

Mina blinked, "Perfectly in order, Professor."  
"And you're determined to find out my school's secrets." It was a statement, rather than a question, and Mina knew she had been found out. She was hardly surprised; dealing with a telepath rarely left her any secrets.

"Yes, sir."

Professor Xavier chuckled, "Well, then, when you have found them out, I will gladly let you in on the more fascinating details of my work. Off you go, then." He shooed her out gently, a devious smile on his face. "Perhaps you should make use of our pool while its empty. The students will be out of class in about two hours, and from there you'll have no privacy in the water."

Mina slanted a confused look at him, inching towards to door, "Okay, then. Goodbye." As she slid out of the office, Mina began to have second thoughts about the sanity of the Professor. She checked herself quickly, knowing that he could very well be listening on the other side of the door.

Mina considered, briefly, taking the Professor's suggestion and going for a swim. And why not? The weather was nice, she had a suit that didn't exactly make her feel self-conscious, and she _was_ particularly curious about what was behind that rock formation that formed the waterfall on the far end. On her way to the room, however, she realized that it was possible she was being manipulated. It wasn't a feeling she particularly liked, and it did annoy her a little, but she let it go. Her room had a principally good view of the pool, anyway.

Quickening her steps, Mina glanced behind her to see if she was being followed. Once satisfied that she was alone, she slipped into her room and made a beeline for her window, peeking out from behind the heavy folds of the finely woven curtains.

Yes, the view was quite lovely, the landscape of what could only be called the school's 'back yard' laid out beautifully. The trees formed a perfect half circle, a gentle cage for volleyball nets and half-court for basketball, and, of course, the pool. The large aquatic structure encompassed the better portion of the yard, its stone foundation almost rustic amongst the rich greens of the surrounding foliage—a veritable oasis for the hormone-imbalanced teens of the school.

Mina zeroed in on the stone waterfall, angling her head to peer around the carefully sculpted mass. She huffed, from this vantage point, she couldn't really see anything of interest as the falling water concealed any possible passageways between the rocks.

Movement from the other side of the pool caught her peripheral. Mina shrank back from the window, hiding behind the curtain in fear of being discovered. After a few moments, she dared to peek out, her jaw dropping, unhinged, as she saw Logan diving into the pool from the side platform.

He sliced through the pool with clear, practiced strokes, coming up for air only once per lap that she could count. Mina stood for several minutes just watching him swim, and finding the activity surprisingly relaxing. Each lap was met with uniform breaths from her lungs, each stroke a beat of her heart.

She sighed, she had been right in her original assessment. Logan was a serious danger to her mental well being. And, if the water hadn't distorted his musculature too much, her physical well being as well. The man was powerfully built, his limbs packed with sinewy muscle—which was _just great_. He already hated her, might as well scare the living bejeezus out of her every time he walked into the room; because now that she had some sort of handle on the extent of his stamina and strength (he was on lap sixty-three and didn't seem to be slowing down), she knew she would only see her demise in him.

When he finally hoisted himself out of the pool, Mina stepped away from the window to sit on the bed. For several seconds, only vague recollections of memory passed through her mind, and then…

"Shit," she said aloud, coming to a conclusion. "The old coot was trying to play matchmaker." Springing from her spot on the bed, Mina tried her reasoning again. What was the call to the office all about, and why did he suggest the pool? The answer was definitely Logan, but in what way? Professor Xavier didn't seem the meddling type, aside from that strange twinkle that occasionally appeared in his eyes.

Pushing her bangs from her eyes, Mina took a deep breath. Logan had not tried to disguise his dislike for her; maybe the professor was just trying to mend fences, so to speak. After all, employees that worked well together were more productive. And it probably would traumatize the children to see two of their teachers come to blows.

_Forgive me, but I'd like to speak with you once more, in my office…_

"Don't you own a phone?" Mina shot back before she could check herself. She pulled on the hem of her shirt in shame, but she thought she could feel a tinge of amusement through the telepathic link. Steadfastly, she erected the mental barriers—basic though they were—that Fuller had taught her. It probably couldn't be enough to stop the Professor, but the action made her feel normal for a moment, a routine she'd picked up over time when feeling stress.

After making the journey back to Professor Xavier's office, Mina knocked impatiently. The mental _"Come in," _frustrated her. Was nothing sacred, not ever her mind?

"I apologize," Professor Xavier said solemnly. "I've grown used to speaking with the teachers telepathically. I did not take into consideration your feelings on the matter." The apology was concise, unflattering, and lacking in the flower lamentations that usually grated against her nerves.

"You are forgiven," she said, "What did you need to speak with me about?"

The Professor indicated a chair opposite his desk, "I think you had better sit down for this."

Mina sat, her gut twisting obscenely, rising in her throat and threatening to make her lose her lunch. Never had a conversation ended well when she was asked to sit, not since her parents were taken from her at age nine. From there, she went into Fuller's care, learning the ropes until she'd finally had enough and gone rogue. That sit-down conversation with Fuller had gone monumentally wide of the mark, forcing her to cut all ties to her former life and move into hiding.

Fuller wasn't the forgiving type, and she'd committed the ultimate sin by leaving, abandoning him when he'd given her the gift of life amongst the greatest criminals in the South. Sometimes she wished she'd stayed with him, but each time she looked at the lightly scarred skin the to right of her belly-button, she was glad she'd left. A life on the run was so much better than a life spent in perpetual fear of what Fuller was going to do next, just how far he would go to keep her in line. And now she was sitting in a leather chair, hands folded neatly in her lap, waiting for the Professor to throw her out on her ass.

"I received a call today from a friend with whom I have been keeping contact since you arrived yesterday. He has some connections with your Mr. Fuller," Professor Xavier said slowly, his voice giving nothing detectable away.

Mina's eyes narrowed, "He's not _my_ Mr. Fuller, but continue, please."

The Professor gazed back at her steadily, "Apparently, Mr. Fuller has issued a warrant for your arrest. The news has traveled throughout the region and I have received word that our local authorities are looking for you at the moment."

Mina inhaled sharply. She had known this moment would come, but the knowledge hadn't softened the blow. "I will pack my things," she said softly.

"My, you do move quickly. I was not suggesting that you leave, merely that you stay on school grounds until this whole ordeal is over. I cannot protect you outside these walls, but I can assure you that no one will forcibly remove you while you choose to stay."

Reassured, Mina nodded, "Thank you for letting me know. I always prefer to be told the truth."

The Professor looked at her for a moment, and then said, "I'll keep that in mind."

Mina wandered the halls for the millionth time that day, taking note of the fastest exits as she walked. So, Fuller had decided to come after her legally—well, as legal as he could get, considering he ran a complex crime ring. She was sure that he'd presented some evidence of her work to the police, pictures, prints, stolen goods. She'd left everything behind when she made her escape from that life—absolutely everything. Fuller wouldn't even have to doctor the evidence. She had committed the crimes, and now she was going to have to jump through hoops in order to keep out of jail—more importantly, away from the far-reaching arms of Fuller.

Feeling a little nostalgic, Mina glanced around—it seemed as if the students were in class from nine or so in the morning to dinner, with a break for lunch. It left her about half an hour to shake off the rust and keep herself in shape, just in case she needed to make a run for it.

Slinking into the shadows, Mina allowed herself to fade to nothingness, the tingle of shifting darkness familiar and welcomed. It was this power that had allowed her access to some of the most well guarded places in the world. With little effort she could move through the shadows, unseen, taking anything she carried with her.

She jumped from shadow to shadow along the walls, moving down the hallways quickly. The old building was perfect for practicing; little niches placed evenly apart, shadows everywhere. Mina smiled, it felt good to work through practiced moves until nothing existed but the next shadow, the next slip from place to place. It was exhilarating, to say the least, and Mina was grateful she could run through a basic routine without Fuller standing over her, critiquing her every move.

Voices filtered through her shadowed focus, throwing her concentration off-center. She slipped out of the shadows before throwing herself back against a wall. Breathing heavily, Mina surveyed the hall, spotting Logan arguing with Ororo. Their voices were too soft to hear, unfortunately, thought Logan's body language practically screamed at her. She thought about simply heading in the opposite direction, but her sense of curiosity got the best of her (as it had been known to do), and she ended out inching forward along the wall.

"…driving me crazy," Logan said fiercely, his booted feet stomping along the floor.

Ororo's keen eyes flicked along the length of the hallway, "This may not be the best place to discuss this matter, Logan." Mina shifted back against the wall, holding her breath tightly in her lungs.

Logan stopped pacing, a long inhale stuttering in his chest, "Shit," he breathed. Probably not the most erudite of phrases, but Mina decided the word suited his demeanor. His whole body was tense, his shoulders practically shaking with what looked like fury. "It's everywhere," he said on a coarse growl.

Ororo reached over to comfort him, but he shrugged off her hands. She stepped back, crossing her arms, "I know you like to do things alone, but remember that I am here if you need to talk." Logan huffed loudly, pulling a cigar from his pocket. With one last strong inhale, he lit it, pulling a long drag from the blunt tip.

Ororo clucked her tongue twice, "You know we don't allow smoking inside." Her words were reprimands, but her tone was all play. She gave him a sidelong glance, a smile etched onto her lips.

Logan returned the smile uneasily, "I know, I know. I'll take it outside. See you around Ororo." Then, he looked right at her. Mina's heart just about stopped, and she almost let out the squeak of breath she'd been holding for far too long. His eyes rested on her for a moment, then flicked downwards as he turned to leave.

Timid and feeling not a little ashamed for her eavesdropping, Mina slid away, shifting down the hall to her room. Damn, she'd only been there two days and already she felt like she was spying all over again. And this time, she wasn't really getting paid for it. It seemed as if old habits did, indeed, die hard.

**I already had the first two chapters written when I decided to start posting, so chapter three will take a few more days. Hopefully, I'll have it up by the end of the week! Happy reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter, a little look into the classroom for Mina, along with a little more Logan. Though its going slow right now, I promise the story will pick up a little bit. **

**Reviews= Love (Is it weird that I check for reviews a million times during the first day after posting a chapter?)  
**

Mina stood at the front of a classroom for the first time in her adult life. The last occasion she had so many young eyes staring at her was senior year, when she gave her final presentation on medieval feudalism in Western Civilizations. It didn't go well, and the memory had since been a reminder of why she stuck to the background. The shadows were infinitely more forgiving than the spotlight.

"So, I guess you should be getting to your books," she said after clearing her throat.

One cocky looking boy wearing a faded gray hoodie flipped open a lighter, smirking, "Where's Ms. Grey?"

"She is working on another project for the moment, I will be taking over these classes from now on," Mina replied evenly. She knew the type, he was going to push her boundaries until he found her breaking point. Every school had one, a troublemaker who broke the rules just because he could. She just had to project an air of confidence and not let him know her weakness—she'd even dressed the part, a pencil shirt she'd ordered online during the weekend and a crisp blouse Fuller had given her as a birthday gift several years earlier.

"Well, then," Mr. Cocky said, "I'm glad. She was kind of an ice queen, and you look pretty hot." He punctuated the statement by flicking open his lighter, the flame sparking to life and rolling above the flint. Mina's eyebrows hit her hairline. She definitely wasn't expecting that.

A slim girl slapped the back of his head with a gloved hand, "Shut it, John. Do you always have to be such a jerk?" She looked up at Mina apologetically, as if John were an obnoxious pet. Mina smiled thankfully, noting open nature of her face, the fashion-forward streaks of white in her hair. Her gloves were made of silk, her shirt flowing tightly down to her wrists. Next to her sat a clean-cut boy who was giving Mina the same apologetic look. Mina immediately marked them down as allies.

John chuckled, "Some people like that," he said, eyes Mina leeringly.

Mina leaned back against the desk, surveying the rest of the class. Though they were mutants, they looked and acted just like every other gaggles of teens, right down to the passing of notes in the back. She relaxed, she could handle this.

"Alright, my name is Ms. Calloway. I expect you all have homework to do, so let's get to it, okay? Please stay in your seats, and if you have to leave, just raise your hand and ask. Do I make myself clear?" The room reverberated with the sound of bored affirmations followed by the crinkling of the pages of textbooks and the scratching of pencils and pens.

"Psst!" Mina looked up. John was leaning over the front of his desk, his sharp eyes smiling at her. "Hey, what's your real name?"

"Just get to your books, John. Ms. Calloway is just fine," she replied firmly, knowing that if she gave an inch, he'd sprint for the mile.

He chuckled, "Why? I don't learn anything useful from them." Then he leaned back, saying in a loud voice, "It's not like I'm going to use any of this in real life, anyways."

There was a rumble of _mmhmm's_ from the rest of the room and Mina cocked her head to the side, regarding the class silently. They were each hovering over their books, their faces resigned to learning what they thought wasn't functional information. And then suddenly she got an idea.

"How would you like to learn something 'useful', for once?" She asked in amusement, mulling over a plan in her mind.

"I know I would," John said, flicking his lighter open again, the flame sparking to life between his fingers.

Mina rose from her seat, motioning for the class to follow, "Well, come on, then. I don't have all day." She led them out into the hallway, through the archways, and into the gymnasium. From there, she waited until the whole class had filed in before speaking. "I expect all of you have been following the news lately," she said, her eyes scanning the small crowd around her. A few nodded and she continued, "Then I'm sure you know that the general public isn't taking quite a liking to the growing mutant population." More nods. "How many of you have been personally attacked or followed by a group of people because you are mutants?"

John spoke up, his tone irritable, "You're preaching to the choir, Calloway."

Mina discretely rolled her eyes, "And how many have relied on their powers to get them out of the situation?" Hands rose from most of the students. Mina paced a few steps, eyeing the group. "I challenge you, then, to learn from me something that will help you greatly when next this situation comes to you. I challenge you to learn how you can avoid your enemies without use of your powers, to move undetected, and to escape from those would do you harm."

The girl with the pale streaks of hair stepped forward, "Shouldn't our powers be used to help us, that's what they're there for, right?"

Mina nodded, "Yes, they can be helpful," she replied. "But, if you rely too much on them, you grow lax, sloppy. I have heard that there is a," she cleared her throat, "cure for mutations. What if you are dosed with it, and you no longer have use of your powers? What then?" There were some disgruntled sounds from the kids. Mina waited a beat before diving in for the kill, "You can learn from me," she said, "Or you can go back to your books. Either way, it won't hurt me any." Try as she might, Mina couldn't keep the wry smile off her face, so she turned and pretended to walk away.

"Wait!" came a voice. Hook, line, and sinker…

Mina turned gave the anxious group an expectant look, "You want to learn? Okay, then."

She spent the next two hours guiding the teens through evasive maneuvers, showing them how to step, how to duck, and working specifically on their agility. A few picked up the moves quickly, though most stumbled through even the most basic exercise. Most would have a bruise or two by the afternoon. It was something, she realized, that she would have to work on with them on a daily basis.

When the bell finally sounded, Mina watched her pupils file out, a wild sort of satisfaction filling her chest. So this was why people accepted sub-par pay and terrible hours in order to educate. Mina thought that she'd feel frustrated with apathetic teens, or in the very least unfulfilled because she wasn't really teaching a subject, just watching the students study. Instead, she felt rejuvenated, accomplished, and more than a little happy. Mina chuckled, then sighed; she might just like this whole teaching thing.

"That was some class," came a voice from behind her. Mina turned to see Jean standing near the entrance of the gym, her flaming red hair reflecting orangey-gold in the fluorescents.

Mina smiled. "I figured I'd teach them something useful," she said brightly.

Jean entered the room, her cool eyes drifting over Mina's form in one slow movement. "They did seem to like it," she said unhurriedly. Mina regarded Jean with careful eyes. The way the other woman circled, giving her a wide berth made Mina just a little cautious. She had seen this kind of behavior before in some of the women Fuller brought around—she was being sized up, and Jean was deciding here and now whether or not Mina presented competition. She sighed, relaxing her stance and loosening her muscles. It was a trick she'd picked up to show submission and to avoid confrontation with the more aggressive ones.

"I think they did," Mina replied, smile planted firmly on her face. "I'm just glad that I was able to throw a little of my knowledge in the mix."

"I can see that," Jean replied. There was a pause the length of a breath, and then, "I really liked the footwork exercises you put them through. Where did you pick that up?"

Mina swallowed, her mind whirring to come up with an appropriate lie, "I used to play volleyball in high school. It's sort of a conditioning thing we did during the off season." She waited anxiously for Jean's face to show signs of acceptance, her lie not really a lie since she did play volleyball with the guys now and again. Still, half-truths were not whole-truths and she'd have to keep the story straight if asked about it later.

"I'm sure," Jean said, "Well, whatever you're doing, I think it's a good idea." Mina blinked, that was new. Maybe she was wrong and Jean wasn't assessing her threat, merely curious.

She smiled lightly, "Thank you. It feels good to be useful again." She felt the slightest tingle of telepathy along the base of her skull, and her eyes narrowed. Jean was a telepath…wonderful. "I should probably be going, I'm sure someone needs the gym and I don't want to be in the way," she said as she strode past the taller woman.

"You're right," Jean said, walking in time with Mina, "Logan teaches in here during the next period."

"Oh, is that so?" Although she tried to sound nonchalant, Mina cursed the slight hitch in her voice and the quickening of her steps. The last thing she wanted to do was run up against Logan again. She had been studiously avoiding him for the entire weekend, and had managed not to see him at meals, something she counted as a small victory.

They walked for a few moments in uncomfortable silence while Mina studiously avoided eyes contact. Jean finally broke the silence, "The girls and I usually go to this bar on Monday nights," she said, running a hand through her hair. "Do you want to go with us?"

Surprised, Mina almost immediately agreed, but then she remembered the Professor's request that she stay on campus. "I'm really sorry, but I can't. I'm not exactly settled in yet and since I have an early class, I don't think it's a good idea right now."

The excuse seemed to be agreeable to Jean, who nodded, "Well, the offer is still open, if you ever want to join."

"Thank you, it means a lot to me," Mina replied. "I'm going to get some lunch, if you want to join."

"I have class here in about ten minutes," Jean said, "But thanks."

They parted ways, Mina heading in the direction of the cafeteria and Jean towards the cluster of classrooms. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she walked, her mind on the next set of exercises she could use to help the kids. There was veritable plethora of skills she could teach them, and all of those skills would be useful in some way or another. After graduation, they would be exposed to the cruel reality of the world—the world that hated mutants, and it was more than likely that these (mostly) harmless kids would end out paying a high price for the gift that nature had given them.

Sighing, Mina pushed away her ominous thoughts and entered the cafeteria. Her muscles froze in place when she saw Logan sitting at the teacher's table, forking a chunk of steak into his mouth. She let loose a string of mental curses as she picked up a plate and scooped up her choice of food. It would figure that he'd be there at the exact same time as her. Didn't Jean say he had a class right about now?

Reigning in her resolve, Mina strode over to the table and set her plate down, her eyes lowered behind her bangs. There was an empty space of silence between them, an awkward moment of indecision on her part. She wasn't exactly sure what to say to him, or if conversation was welcome.

With a quick glance, Mina gathered that he'd word solid white t-shirt today, belted jeans, and he'd shaven. His hair looked like he'd at least run his hands through it to tame the strands, and…he'd just noticed she was staring.

"Hi," Mina said to cover her embarrassment. She could feel the hot tinge of a blush creep over her cheeks, could clearly feel her ears turning red.

Logan let out a gravelly grunt that Mina took to be his way of returning her salutations. And then he adjusted his posture a little, rolling a shoulder a little to release some tension.

Mina pushed her food around for a moment, her stomach knotting at the continued silence. She was used to the jovial conversations with Fuller, his mind working quickly to entertain. This brooding silence, this arid desert of conversation left her feeling out of her depth. She glanced up at him again, noting the way his body seemed to dwarf the chair on which he sat. His hunched shoulders folded around the pitifully small plate, and she got the feeling he was consciously trying to angle himself away from her. Incensed, she wondered just what she had done to incite his ire so quickly. It seemed that from the first moment he'd seen her, he'd wanted to run as far and fast as he could get.

"You got something ta say, you might want ta say it," he said lowly, his hands coming to rest on either side of his plate, the fingers curled into loose fists. He was looking at her in anticipation, as if he was readying himself for her indignation.

Mina sputtered for a moment, her eyes instinctually darting to the exit and back. She might be able to get a couple of feet, but she knew if he was so inclined, Logan could take her down to the floor in a matter of seconds. Resigned, she returned her gaze to Logan and leaned her chin on one hand. "Why do you hate me so much?" It was always better to strike right to the heart of the matter.

Logan leveled a narrowed gaze at her, his eyes growing dark. "I don't hate you," he pronounced evenly, a touch of a growl lacing through his words.

"Could have fooled me," Mina shot back roughly. The very fact that he growled at her whenever she came within ten feet of him let her know that Logan, at the very least, didn't like her for some reason.

Logan stiffened in his chair, leaning back away from her as he visibly tried to cool his temper. "You're one to talk," he said curtly, "You've been avoiding me for damn near a week."

"Five days is not a week," Mina countered hotly, "Besides, you did start it. You could have at least apologized for knocking me over outside Professor Xavier's office—and for intimidating me the very first day I was here. You know, its very disconcerting to have someone literally growl at you on top of a staircase."

"I'm sorry," Logan said in a way that clearly indicated that he was far from apologetic, standing suddenly.

Mina felt that tremor of latent fear shoot through her already active nerves, a flinch working its way through her muscles. Logan paused, inhaling for a moment, his eyes softening only slightly. Then, he stepped away from the table and headed for the trash receptacles.

Following his steps with her eyes, Mina sighed. She'd just given him the biggest advantage possible, letting him know that she was afraid of him. Wonderful. Finding that she'd lost her appetite, Mina pushed away from the table. She dumped her half-eaten plate and left the cafeteria, heading for her room.

As she moved through the now-crowded halls, she felt a kind of guilt ride slowly over her mind. She hadn't meant to start the semi-fight with him, but he was being rude…and so was she. Mina huffed, now she'd have to apologize, yet another situation in which she felt uncomfortable. She waited until classes were over before seeking him out. Having no real knowledge about his habits, she started with the last place she knew he would be…the gym.

Although the sign by the door clearly stated that the gymnasium was closed, Mina found the door unlocked. She stepped inside, scanning the area for Logan's unwieldy form. He was replacing basketballs on a rack at the far end of the gym, his back to her. Mina approached cautiously, not wanting to startle him, her footsteps intentionally harder than was normal. "Logan," she called when she was a few feet away.

He looked over his shoulder at her, "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry," Mina blurted, "I was wrong to treat you so rudely during our conversation."

Logan turned to face her, folding his arms over his chest, "What I'm wondering is where you got the impression that I hated you."

Mina paused, thinking, "Do you always growl at people, or was it just me?"

"Don't you know its _rude_ to answer a question with a question?"

Mina smirked, "Your sentence was a statement, not a question. You're the one being rude, here, not me."

Logan blinked, his arms falling to his sides, "Are you always this evasive?"

"Generally—out of habit, I'm afraid," Mina said, recognizing wryly that her response could be taken one of two ways. Logan finally broke eye contact with a chuckle, one hand rubbing at the nape of his neck. It was an almost boyish movement which stood in start contrast to his purely masculine nature. He took a quick step forward, the angle of his shoulders dropping down and forward. Mina flinched, but held her ground, determined to break her fear of this man. She swung her arms around her back, holding tightly to her wrists in order to redirect her instinctual urge to run.

"Skittish, aren't ya," Logan said with a predatory smile, the rumbling growl that had been missing from their conversation returning to his speech.

"It happens," Mina said, eyeing him warily. Her stomach was twisting in her gut, her heart pulsing at a steadily increasing rate. Logan inhaled, and it was then that she knew he could smell her fear, could taste it in the air between them. She cursed herself for not recognizing it sooner—Logan had heightened animalistic senses, and they were playing out in front of her like a movie reel. It made sense, though she had never heard of such a mutation. Mina wondered just what else he could do.

Logan's slow, stalking, forward steps stopped when he stood mere inches from her body. He was so close, she could feel the heat emanating from his skin, could smell the smoke on the fabric of his shirt. "I'm not him," he said lowly.

Mina looked up at him, "What?"

"Whoever hurtcha, I'm not him," he replied. He gave her one more once over, his nose almost brushing hers, then he stepped to the side and strode out of the gym, his booted feet thumping against the hardwood.

Mina stood for a few moments, breathing heavily and wondering what had just transpired between them. One minute he was angry, then amused, then angry all over again. She rested her hands on her hips and blew a strand of hair from her eyes, frustrated—it was just like him, she thought, to leave right when things were getting interesting.

Turning, she left the gymnasium, maneuvering her way through a throng of students to the teacher's quarters. There would be time later to think about Logan's mood swings. Right now, she really wanted to explore that waterfall.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here's the next installment of Escaping. I'm having surgery on Friday, so I won't be able to upload for a couple of weeks. This will just have to tide you over. However, I may be able to get you readers another chapter beforehand if you review--look at me, using chapters to bribe you guys for reviews.... I should feel guilty about it, but I just can't seem to find it in myself to do so**

**I hope you enjoy this next chapter!  
**

She'd waited until nightfall to sneak out—if you could call slipping down the deserted hallways of Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters sneaking out. With careful steps, Mina edged through the shadows of the darkened hallways and through the unlocked front door. It didn't quite seem safe to leave the entrance to a school unlocked, but Mina figured the Professor would know ahead of time whether or not someone intended to break in—at the very least, he had someone on staff who could predict an attack in enough time to stop it.

Keeping to the darkness, Mina circled the far corner of the building to the backyard. The waterfall was still running, the sound of the water pounding against the rock and drowning out the crunching of the Fall leaves beneath her feet. She examined the larger foundational rocks, checking for cracks and loose chunks in the mortar. Everything held solid as she prodded the rough surface of the stones. "Damn," Mina breathed.

Swiping her bangs from her face, Mina kicked off her shoes and socks so she could check the waterfall from the inside. The moon was full that night, so seeing beneath the surface of the pool wouldn't be a problem. She slipped out of her hoodie and jeans, inhaling deeply. As she flexed to make the dive into the deep end, a loud rumble sounded from about a hundred yards away.

Pushing herself into the shadows, Mina huddled behind the largest rock and peered towards the noise. She eyed the large form rising amidst the trees circling the yard narrowly. From the sound of it, it was a plane of some sort.

She followed the movement of the plane with her eyes, until it shimmered out of sight, leaving her wide-eyed and confused. So, the school had plane…interesting. The waterfall would have to wait; Mina wanted to know where that plane had come from.

Sticking to the shadows, she crept into the wooded area on all fours so that she could feel the loose dirt between her fingers. Searching for a seam in the forest floor was like finding a needle in a haystack, and after a few minutes, Mina gave up looking for the outside entrance to look for the inside one. Instead of taking the stairs and risking getting caught on the way up, she took the elevator.

Leaning against the cool steel, she noticed an almost imperceptible dent in the metal of the control panel. Curious, she fingered the edges, jerking back when the panel pulled away to display a singular button. Despite her misgivings, Mina braced herself against the wall of the elevator and pressed the button. The elevator halted, hovering midair for a moment, before descending so quickly that her stomach jumped into her throat.

With her breaths were coming in hollow pants, Mina forced herself to calm. If anything, she could bust the overhead light and disappear in the resulting darkness. Gripping the rail, she pulled hard to see if it would budge. No luck. Muttering a curse, she resigned herself to simply fighting her way out, if need be.

The elevator floated to smooth stop and Mina flinched when the doors opened with a sharp metallic hiss. She waited for a beat, hoping not to have to throw a punch—the trick in a fight was to not break the bones in your hand while smacking your opponent around. It was something she'd learned the hard way, she still had the pins in her right pinky to prove it.

Mina stepped forward when no one barreled into the elevator to beat the hell out of her. She glanced both ways before stepping gingerly out into the pristine hallway. To the left, there was a dead-end, to the right, a shining length of empty hallway with several doors. She spent a moment debating whether or not she should move forward or slide back into the waiting elevator.

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Mina made her decision—she pressed herself to the wall, inching towards the intersection of hallways, which were all empty. She sprinted across the space, sliding along the opposite hall until she reached a door with an 'X' engraved in the metal. There was no lock in the door, and no knob. Mina spent a few moments running her hands over the cool steel, trying to determine how to get the door open, and pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her hands to conceal fingerprints.

Looking up, she noticed a small motion detector over frame of the door. Mina smirked, stepping back and waving her hand in front of the reflective disk. The door opened with a soft swish, the lights inside turning on automatically. Gingerly, she stepped inside, examining what looked like a medical facility. The machines inside were far more advanced than the nurse's office two floors above, leading Mina to believe this particular room was used for much more dangerous injuries—though, she thought, probably not for the students.

Mina circled the room two or three times, checking each of the stations for any kind of useful information. Spies were trained to leave very little behind, so any information was coded and categorized for later use—the arrangement of machines, the files on various teachers in the cabinets—all of it, stored. With nimble fingers, she plucked a stray scalpel from a waiting tray, sliding it up into her sleeve just in case. She had no real idea what was going on, and, with no shadows to hide in, she didn't want to be caught unarmed.

Once satisfied that there was nothing suspicious in the medical room, she headed to the next door. It swished open, revealing a large, empty space. Curious, Mina stepped inside warily. She palmed the scalpel, her eyes following the almost non-existent walls. "What is this place?" She murmured, leaning against the metal doorjamb. The Professor kept an empty, silver-walled room just hanging around the school? It didn't seem likely.

The air in the room shifted, shimmering around her dizzyingly. Mina turned to back out only find the door completely gone. Panicking, she crouched defensively, her eyes darting around the changing room. It seemed to move from one image to another—jungle to industrial, suburban to arid desert. She turned in slow circles, with her heart beating frantically in her chest, looking for an escape. For the first time since telling Fuller she was leaving, she felt a very real kind of fear that choked her breath and left her eyes filling with tears.

When the room around her settled back to the pristine, metallic, shape, Mina threw herself through the barely reappeared door, landing on her knees in the hallway. She took a few deep breaths, steadying her heart and listening for footsteps—she caught the whirring of a motor.

Glancing up, she watched as Professor Xavier wheeled towards her, a small smile playing on his face. "I see you've finally found our base of operations," he said, amusement clear in his voice.

Mina tried to catch her breath and pointed roughly to the door behind her, "Excuse the language, Professor, but what the _fuck_ was that?"

He laughed, "Just a little exercise room, for our X-men training."

"Who?"

"X-men, my dear. Now, come along upstairs and I'll explain." He motioned to the elevator, wheeling backwards a few feet.

Mina paced a few steps to her left, her eyes focused on the Professor. "No, I don't think I'll be going anywhere until you tell me what I'm looking at." She'd been lied to for the better part of her life—it was a side effect of her occupation. But she trusted the Professor; it felt odd that he'd lie to her.

"I have never lied to you, Mina. Merely allowed you to come to the truth on your own," he said serenely.

"I believe we've been over my sentiments on reading my mind," Mina bit out, feeling every bit the fool for playing into his game.

The Professor's face softened, "Please, allow me to explain…now, don't protest. I know about your mutation, and I wanted to see it for myself. Your investigation into the secrets of my school was…a test, if you will. I want to ask you to join my team." When Mina did not respond, he continued, "I have assembled a unique group of mutants called the X-men, who help to keep to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I offer you the chance to use your gift for something far bigger than yourself." He leaned forward in his chair, urging her with his eyes, "Do you accept?"

Mina rocked back onto her heels, considering the Professor's offer. It _would_ be nice to see the other side of the coin, to work with a team and use her mutation for something other than crime. It would also make her more vulnerable to Fuller, as she would actually have to leave the school to be on the team.  
"Okay," she said softly. "What do I have to do?"

The Professor laughed, "Nothing, for the moment. You will teach your classes, as you have been—by the by, I love what you're doing for the students—and you will train on the weekends. When you are ready, you'll be fitted for a uniform."

"That's it?" Mina replied, her eyebrow cocked, "How long am I supposed to 'train'?" She had worked for years on a team, specializing in covert exercises. It had taken her years to develop the skills needed and the trust in her co-workers to pull off a job more complex than a smash-and-grab.

"We'll have to see how well you cooperate with the other members."

"Who are?"

The Professor's eyes held a faraway gaze for a moment, then, "I believe you'll meet them in a moment."

The third set of doors slid open, forcing Mina to scramble to her feet and press herself against the nearest wall. She let out a relieved breath as Ororo strode into the hallway, her step faltering when she spied Mina hovering just behind the Professor. Jean entered next, followed by Scott and Logan. She eyed each in turn, her eyebrows raised as she noticed the almost outlandish leather uniforms. Professor Xavier wanted to put her in one of those? She shook her head mentally: Not a chance.

Ororo stepped up to Mina, smiling, "So, you've found us out. Did the Professor offer you the position?"

"Um, yes, he did," Mina said, wondering just how many people were aware that Professor Xavier was planning on bringing her on as a teammate.

"And you did accept…"

Mina chuckled, "Yes, I did—,"

"Good!" She exclaimed, placing a warm hand on Mina's arm.

Ororo gave her one last smile, slipping off her gloves, "I'll see you at breakfast," she said before approaching the Professor and leaning down to speak with him. Jean and Scott joined her, the three X-men forming a half-circle around Professor Xavier's chair.

Feeling a little awkward on the outside, Mina shuffled her feet, trying her darndest not to listen in. Logan moved to lean his broad frame against the wall next to her, "You'll get used to it," he said, his voice a low rumble.

Mina tensed from his close proximity, but exhaled to calm herself, "Used to what?"

"Sitting on the outside," he replied. "I've been here for a couple of years, give or take a few months' vacation, and I'm still watching them circle up around him like vultures."

Mina raised a brow as he pulled out a cigar and flicked open a lighter. She glanced down the length of his form, wondering just where he had the space to put it. The leather suit was form fitting, the supple material grazing over his torso and limbs, cut close enough that she could see the individual muscles as they flexed with his movements. Her mouth wet dry.

Pushing her suddenly impure thoughts away, she said, "They give you a month of vacation?"

Logan gave her a boyish smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling, "Nah. Sometimes, I just take the time off. Job's always here when I get back." Mina nodded, watching him watch her with darkening eyes. Suddenly, the voices in the background seemed to fade away, leaving her with the roaring of blood in her ears, pulsing with the beat of her heart. She bit her lip, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Almost immediately, she chastised herself—blushing like some schoolgirl.

Looking away, Mina caught sight of Jean approaching. Quickly, she; stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans, smiling. "Hey," she said, her voice cracking only slightly.

"Hey," Jean replied, "I'm looking forward to working with you." There was a soft kind of sincerity in her eyes that kept Mina rolling her eyes at the cliché formality of the statement. She dipped her chin, accepting the comment for what it was.

They stood there—Mina, Jean, and Logan—for a few more minutes, each more tense than the last. Jean kept glancing at Logan, then down at her boots, until Mina finally caught on. "I think I'll just head up to bed. I've got a lot to think about," she said, relenting to Jean's need to speak with the man at her side.

She nodded to the Professor, who was still speaking quietly with Ororo and Scott, before heading to the elevator. Once inside, she slumped against the cool metal walls, pulling at the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. Had she just been admitted to the X-men and ogled Logan's leather-clad form all in the span of fifteen minutes? It was apparent that she had, though this could all seem like a dream in the morning. As a matter of fact, it seemed like a dream now.

The elevator opened to her floor and Mina stepped out, heading for her room. She crossed her arms over her chest, huddling into the fabric of her hoodie and ducking around a corner. She had almost made it to her door when she heard a gruff voice call her name.

Turning, she came face to face with Logan, who looked like he'd ran the entire three floors of stairs to reach her. It was almost endearing, the way he jogged up to her, still clad in his uniform. She squared her shoulders with him, pushing the stray hairs from her face and trying not to look intimidated.

In the darkened light of the hallway, he looked so much more fearsome than usual. It occurred to her that he had probably just been in some kind of skirmish—his hair fell haphazardly over his brow and there were tiny marks scuffing the fine leather of his uniform. It was, however, uncanny that his skin was completely unmarred, perfectly rough over the lines of his jaw, his cheekbones. She wondered just how good Logan really was…

"I know Chuck made this seem like cakewalk, but its real work. I hope you're ready for it," he said earnestly.

Mina pulled her brows together in confusion, "You ran all that way here," she pointed to the floor below them, "Just to tell me I have my work cut out for me?"

Logan frowned, running his fingers through his hair, "Yes—no. Listen, its dangerous stuff, what we do, and I'm not always going to be able to look out for ya."

"Then its lucky I don't need anyone to look out for me, Logan," Mina bit out. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much." Feeling her ire rise with every breath, the incredulous feeling of frustration she now associated exclusively with Logan. She turned to leave, only to feel his warm fingers grasp her elbow.

"I didn't mean to insult ya, but you have no idea what you're getting into," he said, his dark eyes boring into hers.

Mina inhaled slowly, the air around her filled with Logan's spicy scent, "I understand perfectly—or I will, once the training is complete," she said, forcing herself to remain calm. Then, "Maybe you should bring this up with Professor Xavier, it seems like you're questioning his judgment, not mine." She yanked her elbow from his all-too-comforting grasp, spinning on her heel and shoving through the door to her room, slamming it behind her.

The gall of that man! First he treats her like some kind of leper, then he invades her personal space at every turn, and finally he basically warns her against joining the X-men. The back and forth of his moods was throwing her for a spin, and she didn't appreciate it. Not to mention that the scrutinizing way he looked at her was almost as if he was sizing her up, making the room feel uncomfortably hot and frazzling her nerves.

Flinging herself onto the bed, Mina buried her face into her pillow and allowed herself to vent her frustration into the soft mass. She beat at the mattress with her fists, and kicked her feet like a child. If Logan was going to fight her every step of the way, she was going to give him Hell for it—she was going to ace training and show him what she was made of, what Fuller had created years ago, what government agencies had feared, and what had helped her to become the most sought after spy in the United States and some of the more industrialized countries in Europe.

Throwing herself onto her back, Mina looked at the clock. She had just a few hours' rest before her classes started in the morning, more than enough time to gather her strength.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello all! I survived my surgery, and even had time to work on the next chapter of Escaping. And so, I offer it up to you for sacrifice... or whatever. Remember, my friends, Reviews=LOVE!!**

"John, pick up your feet! If you can't step lightly, you're not going to be able make it through next week's obstacle course!" Mina barked out orders, pushing each of her students until she thought they would rebel against her. They had made excellent progress in the last week, their times down by almost a third—progress, but still nowhere near where they should have been. Her previous team had worked through these exercises in half the time, and had complained much less.

By the end of class, most had collapsed on the gym floor, limbs flailed out around them, their skin covered in pooling sweat. Mina stepped over Bobby's limp body, smiling, "Okay everybody, good work! It's a little early yet, but I think you will want to hit the showers before heading to your next classes." There was a riotous groan of approval from the students as they picked themselves off the ground. Mina watched them shuffle out of the gym with a chuckle and a shake of her head. It reminded her of her early days of training—the sore muscles, the aching joints, and the feeling of utter accomplishment.

And Mina was feeling accomplished. She had finished her first week of classes and hadn't sent one kid to the nurse's office, though some had certainly threatened her with the need. Replacing the orange plastic cones to their proper place, she swept her hair up into a ponytail and headed for her room to change. The afternoon was her first scheduled training session with the X-men and she didn't want to make a bad impression by being late.

Once inside her room, she shucked off her slacks and blouse, pulling on a sports bra, tank, and shorts. The outfit was completely innocuous, normal for working out, but she couldn't help but to feel a little inadequate in comparison with the stylized leather suits she'd seen earlier. She fingered the soft material of her shorts, eyeing the well-worn fabric warily. It wasn't designer fashion by any means, but it would have to do.

Slipping on a pair of socks and her favorite pair of sneakers, Mina shuffled out of her room and made her way to the elevator. She pressed the hidden button on the control and waited as the elevator dropped to what she assumed was the lowest level of the school. Professor Xavier was waiting for her at the doors, Ororo at his side.

"You'll be working as a team with Ororo," he said, wheeling down the hall without preamble. Mina stepped in pace next to him, wiping her nervous hands down the front of her shorts. "We'll be putting you up against Logan and Scott in the woodlands. Think of it as a game of hide and seek." He smiled in not-so-secret amusement, "You get to hide."

Mina slanted a glance at Ororo, who was smirking, "Don't worry, it'll be fun." She slung an arm over Mina's shoulders and they walked a few paces to where Scott and Logan were waiting. Mina eyed the two—Scott was speaking lowly with Jean and Logan was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, jean-clad legs stretched out in front of him. He looked up when she neared, his eyes raking over her form slowly. Suddenly, she felt a little too exposed in her shorts and tank, her bare limbs covered in goose bumps.

Shuffling alongside Ororo, Mina discretely tugged on her tank top, pulling the material low over her backside and allowing her shorts to sag a bit. It wasn't much, but the coverage made her feel a less exposed. With efficient movements, Ororo strapped a small device to her wrists and pressed a few buttons.

"This will help us keep in contact if we get separated during the session. If you want to speak with me, just press this button." She indicated a small green shape on the side. Mina nodded, examining the gear. Her own team had used something similar, though she also had the added advantage of a heart monitoring system so that she would know if any of the team members had been terminated during a stint. Mina flinched, remembering the sound of a flatlining heart over the monitors, a remnant of times past.

Logan shoved from the wall, "You'll go in first," he said gruffly. "We'll give you ten minutes to get hidden, then we're comin' after ya."

Mina raised a brow, "So the objective is to avoid you?"

"Yea," he replied with a smirk, "You got a problem with that?"

Mina smiled brightly, "Hasn't been a problem so far." She gave herself a mental pat on the back; relishing the light growl he sent her way in response. The thrill of being chased was a kind of guilty pleasure she'd had since childhood. She experienced it every time she'd had to run from the cops, every time Fuller had made his advances, and Mina fully intended to enjoy it as she ran from Logan and Scott—if she was honest with herself, the prospect of being chased by Logan was far more pleasing than being chased by Scott, who looked at her like a youth too green to participate in their adult missions. "How long do we have to avoid you?"

"Half an hour," Scott interjected, turning from Jean. "Normally we have a longer session, but since you're new…" He let the sentence hang in the air between them, his meaning clear. Mina bit her lip, suppressing a sigh. She would have to prove herself to him, the self-instated leader of the group. He stood straight as an arrow, his eyes hidden behind a strange kind of visor, and yet she could feel the scrutiny of his gaze even through the heavy curvature of the shades. He thought, no, knew she wasn't ready.

Mina straightened her spine, "Let's do this, then." Ororo stepped up beside her, a wicked smile spread over her lips. They walked as a team to the doors, which swished open mechanically. The room was as she remembered it, a dome-shaped, metallic, empty space. However, it soon shimmered into something completely different as the doors closed behind them, blending seamlessly into the scenery.

The air around them thinned a bit, the temperature falling to mid-morning dew. Mina shivered with adrenaline as the world oozed into place around her. They were in the middle of the woods, the humidity of the space wrapping 'round her face like a warm, wet blanket. Mina inhaled, amazed that she could truly smell the pine needles beneath her feet, every tiny detail perfectly in place down to the twittering of unseen birds.

"This is some room," Mina breathed.

Ororo smirked, "Now's not the time to admire, Mina. Ten minutes isn't that long when you're running." She turned in a slow circle, examining their surroundings, "I've been in this scenario before. There's a river a little ways down." She pointed to a sloping valley behind Mina, "Let's really give them a run for their money!"

They jogged down the slope, avoiding fallen logs and debris as best they could until they reached the river, which was actually more of a stream, the path of the water no more than five feet across. Ororo waded to the other side, motioning for Mina to follow and whispering conspiratorially, "We'll avoid them longer if we split up. I'll lure Scott away with some suspicious mist, and you can take on Logan."

"You can create a mist?"

Ororo nodded, "Uh huh, among other things. There's a reason my codename is Storm."

Mina nodded, "Any advice on Logan?" It was only after she'd uttered the question that Mina realized the double-entendre. She quickly backpedaled, "For the session, I mean."

Ororo seemed to catch her meaning, thought her eyes glittered in amusement, "He's a sense hunter, more or less. If you can confuse him by laying a trail that leads nowhere, it might give you some kind of an advantage," Ororo replied, eyeing their previous path. "I'll meet you here in half an hour. Remember, you can contact me anytime with your wristband, but let's try to keep to radio silence for now. I think the Professor wants to see how you work in an evasive situation."

After saying their good lucks, Mina took off, running away from the spot with all her might. She ran until her thighs burned with the exertion and sweat ran in rivulets down her neck, soaking her tank. When she happened upon a large open meadow encapsulated by a ring of large trees, Mina knew she'd found a nice place to hole up and wait for her hunters—or hunter, if Ororo was able to pull Scott off her trail.

She pulled herself into the hollow of a tree and scanned the open meadow. For a few beats, there was nothing except the slight breeze sounding through the heavy foliage of the woodlands around her. Mina swallowed, forcing herself to be patient—most of covert spy work was 'hurry up and wait' and, while it had never been one of her strong points, she had learned that patience was often more rewarding than impulse.

Soon, she was rewarded with Logan's broad frame moving swiftly, and efficiently, through the woods, following her trail. Mina smiled, despite herself, knowing that she hadn't made it hard for him to find her. In fact, she'd practically posted signs as to where she'd gone, her scent marking every sporadic tree along the way. It was definitely time to see just how good Logan was.

Carefully, Mina pulled herself into the shadows left by the low-hanging morning sun. She watched as Logan sensed her presence, crouching down defensively, his body growing taut with awareness. He was magnificent, she realized, the economy of his movements in perfect synch with his mission. No move was extraneous, no breath unneeded. Mina pursed her lips to suppress an appreciative sigh; she would have loved to have had him on her side a few years ago.

Eventually, he crept within feet of Mina's hiding place, forcing her to press herself close to the shadows, spreading her non-corporeal thin amongst the sparse darkness. Logan inhaled, his nostrils flaring, and Mina flinched—he had her!

Her breaths were coming in sharp pants as he circled her hiding spot once, twice, swerving ever nearer to her shaking form. Mina's earlier appreciation oozed into wry frustration. It seemed as if he was taunting her, calling her bluff, and forcing her to make the first move. She refused to budge, the air in her lungs stilling as he moved close enough that she could feel the fine hairs along his arms, brushing against her skin.

Logan took one more deep breath, then stepped away, his dark eyes flicking up to the trees. Mina watched as he ambled through the surrounding foliage, disappearing into the dewy mist. She held her position for a minute, her eyes focused intently on the spot in which she'd last seen him. When even the sound of his body brushing against the leaves faded into nothingness, she let out the breath she'd been holding.

Stepping away from the shadows, Mina licked her suddenly dry lips. She leaned against the nearest tree and closed her eyes. Logan had come entirely too close to catching her for her liking—yet she _had_ practically challenged him to find her, had even laid out a perfect path for him to follow. She smiled, enjoying the victory. She just might be qualified to—

Metallic claws slash at her, forcing her around the side of the tree and pushing her face-first into the trunk of a large oak. She grasped for a shadow to pull her body into, but found that the sun had risen too high in the last few minutes, shining fully into the open meadow.

Gripping the rough bark, Mina pressed her forehead into the trunk and waited for the killing stroke. She flinched as the blades whizzed past her face, slicing into the wood beside her head cleanly. The sound echoed in her ear for five erratic beats of her heart, leaving Mina shaking in her high-tops. She felt more than heard Logan's growl at her back, the sound moving up her spine to settle at the nape of her neck to meet his answering puffs of air.

Ever so slowly, Mina turned to face him, her eyes widening as she caught sight of Logan's metallic claws edging out from between his knuckles. She let a gasp slip out from between her lips, the sound shaking through her frame as she lifted her chin to gaze up at Logan's predatory eyes. "Hi," she breathed, unable to think of anything else to say to someone who looked more animal than man.

He didn't so much speak as grunt in return, his face lowering half an inch to draw a long inhale. Mina fidgeted against the tree, not sure whether or not she should feel defeated, or terrified. He didn't seem to be in full control of his faculties—so this is what Ororo meant when she'd said he was a sense hunter. Everything about him seemed magnified, from the darkness of his eyes to the breadth of his shoulders above and around her. He practically oozed predator, and Mina stared doe-eyed back at him, caught between his claws.

"So I guess I lost," she murmured, her eyes flicking from one set of claws to the other. "Right…can you let me go now?"

Logan blinked, then Mina recognized the _snikt_ sound of his claws slipping back into his skin. She sucked in a few breaths, her eyes drifting down over his form. "You're shaking," she said, her hands automatically coming up in an attempt to grip his shoulders.

Quickly, he gripped her wrists, holding them captive inches away from his skin. His brows drew together, the skin between them wrinkling slightly. Mina swallowed hard as he lowered her hands, resting them over her thighs. He took one small step forward, bringing his body within centimeters of her own. Mina instinctively leaned back against the tree, her neck arching as he leaned over her.

With the smallest of movements, Logan pressed his forehead to Mina's, his breath fanning over her cheeks. "Tag," he whispered softly, "You're it". And then he was gone, his body plunging through the foliage in front of her at a frenetic pace. Mina stared after him, completely befuddled. Then, she ran.

She followed him as best she could, the white of his shirt clearly visible against the backdrop of the green woodlands. He was fast, but she was faster, her smaller frame allowing her to bound over fallen trees and rocks with practiced ease. When she thought she was close enough, she slipped into the shadows created by the thickened undergrowth, manipulating them until she was moving behind him so close that if she reached out, she could brush her fingertips along his spine.

When he stopped, she circled around him, remaining at his back until the most opportune moment. Then, she pounced. Her body slammed against his, and she immediately regretted it. As she slid to the ground, she groaned, "What are you made of? Cement?"

Logan chuckled lowly, "Not exactly." He offered her his hand, "Good try, though."

Grasping Logan's hand, Mina hauled herself off the ground. She then brushed the leaves and dirt from her short and bare legs. When she returned her attention to Logan, he was looking at her with a cocked brow and struggling to withhold a laugh.

"What?" Mina snapped, gripping her hips with both hands.

Logan smirked, stepping forward to sift through her hair with careful fingers. Mina stiffened, watching him warily as his other hand lifted to join the first, both brushing against her scalp with a touch that felt far too good. "What… are you doing?" She croaked.

He said nothing, stepping back after a moment to hold a small leaf up between their faces, the pale green piece, twirling between his fingertips. Mina inhaled to speak, but stopped to look around as the woodlands shimmered around and beneath them, replacing the cool scent of pine with the metallic air of the Danger Room.

Ororo and Scott stood mere feet away, both laughing. Mina held Logan's gaze for another moment, and then glanced down to stare at his empty hand. Everything about the session had melted away in the blink of an eye. Well, almost everything. The feeling of Logan pressed solidly against the front of her body remained, along with the heat that simmered low in her belly with every glance he sent her way—all those things remained.

The doors opened and Professor Xavier wheeled in followed closely by Jean. Mina stepped away from Logan. She needed to put some distance between them so that no one would detect the hint of blush that flooded her cheeks whenever she could feel the heat of his body.

"You did better than I expected for your first time," the Professor said. "A few more sessions, I think, and then we'll make you an official member of our team."

Mina smiled shyly, knowing that she hadn't done as well as she could have with Logan as a distraction. And then she realized that the Professor had probably seen everything that had happened between them. The blush grew deeper and she could practically feel Logan smirking at her back.

Jean gave Mina a hard look, the muscles around her lips tightening, and Mina felt the now familiar tingle of telepathy at the base of her skull. She braced herself mentally, putting up barrier after barrier until she had cocooned herself within her own mind. It was a dangerous move, but effective against more telepaths.

The Professor cleared his throat and Mina felt the tingle dissipate. She gave Professor Xavier a grateful smile, saving her best irritated expression for Jean. Having been used to protecting her secrets, it was a outrageously annoying to have her mind prodded so freely by an almost complete stranger.

Ororo stepped up beside her, "So, how was it?"

Mina shrugged, going to nonchalant, "It was okay. He caught me," she said, nodding to Logan, who was lighting a cigar.

"I knew he would," Ororo replied, "He's most at home in the forest scenario." She slanted an amused look at Mina, lifting an eyebrow in a way that almost seemed conspiratorial.

Mina furrowed her brows, but let the comment pass. She didn't want to dig any deeper into Logan at the moment, not with him standing less than ten feet away, strong arms crossed over his chest, hair in disarray… She blinked, uttering a mental oath. When had she suddenly decided that Logan was attractive—not just attractive, but absolutely sizzling with sexual energy? "Damn," she breathed.


	6. Chapter 6

**First of all, I want to thank all of you for your well-wishes during my surgery. I'm still on bed rest for another week or so. Second, I want to address a question I've gotten several times about Mina's mutation. It's pretty simple, she's able to make herself virtually invisible by changing her molecular structure so that she is able to blend seamlessly into the shadows. That's it, very simple, but, as one reviewer mentioned, very subtle.**

**Here's the next chapter! I love to hear your questions and comments, so be sure to leave a review! Also, some nice Logan/Mina action in this one. **

**CA  
**

After the Danger Room session, Mina rushed to her room, feeling unusually hot. She attributed the sweat coursing down her spine to the exertion of the session, but, unconsciously, she knew it had something to do with her encounter with Logan. His behavior was growing increasingly more confusing and Mina wasn't sure how to react. Half of her wanted to avoid him for the rest of her life, and the other half wanted to shove him against the nearest stable service and finally exorcise some of the tension between them.

As she stood near the window, trying to cool down, Mina spotted the pool. Thinking that a nice, cool swim would relieve some of her frustration, she glanced at the clock—dinnertime, it would be empty for at least an hour. Smiling, she pulled off her exercise clothes and jumped into her one and only swimsuit. It was nothing fancy, a black one-piece. But when she wore it, she felt comfortable and confident, sexy even.

With skipping steps, Mina grabbed a towel and rushed from the room. Once outside, she took a moment to soak up the sun. Fall was well on its way, leaving the air sharp with the cooling atmosphere. This would probably be one of the last truly warm days left before the pool closed for the winter, and Mina wanted to really enjoy it. She laid her towel across the back of one of the lawn chairs then stepped gingerly over to the ladder.

Her first step into the water was met with a stinging hiss. It was a little too cool for her liking, but Mina continued to lower herself into the pool at intervals so that her goose pimpled skin could gradually get used to the temperature. Taking one long breath, Mina dropped completely into the water, swimming out a few yards and settling into a float on her back.

With slow strokes, she tread the water, reveling in the sunlight warming her stomach through her suit and the calm quiet of the afternoon. The pounding of the waterfall roared in her ears and the rippling water rolled over her skin, soothing the sore muscles left over from her sprint through the woods. Would it actually be considered 'through the woods'? It didn't really seem like it, more like a jaunt around her mental image of the woods…She shook the thoughts from her head, thinking about the mechanics of the Danger Room was going to give her a headache.

Mina turned and bent at the waist, diving under the water and swimming a few feet. She pressed her palms against the bottom of the pool, lifting her legs in a handstand, then allowed gravity to pull her down. Coming up for a breath, she sunk below the surface of the water once again and allowed her weight to drag her down. She sat on the bottom of the pool languidly, the water lifting her limbs slowly and swishing her hair around her face. Down at the bottom, there was nothing to worry about, only the vague sounds of the falling water and the beat of her heart in her ears to keep her company.

It was perfectly peaceful underneath the water—that is, until the plunging of a large body torpedoing towards her broke the still calm. Startled, Mina flinched instinctively backwards, pulling her body flat against the stone beneath her. She tried to focus on the space above her, but her traitorous eyes impulsively closed as two arms reached down and yanked her from the water, leaving her sputtering and gripping for anything to hold her steady. She ended out threading the fingers of her right hand through a head of hair and digging her nails into a bulky shoulder.

Mina sucked in air, coughing in shock. When the water finally cleared from her eyes, her shock grew to a gut twisting astonishment. Looking back at her with white-hot rage was Logan, his face contorted in a snarl.

"What were you thinking?" He growled, giving her a shake. "Answer me!"

Mina gazed up at him wide-eyed and confused. She stuttered for a few moments, and then swallowed, gathering her thoughts. "I, um, wanted to swim?" What should have been a statement came out as a timid question, her throat cracking as Logan maneuvered them through the water.

His face softened, his brows drawing together, "Swim…I thought—what were ya doin' at the bottom of the pool?"

Mina chuckled, the pieces falling together, "Just relaxing a bit. I promise, I was being safe." Logan pulled back a bit and Mina became conscious of just how close they were. Her arms were holding tightly to his shoulders and the nape of his neck, her hands gripping at his skin, and her legs were tucked safely behind his thighs. He'd moved her over to one of the lowest rocks near the waterfall, and the water splashed against their sides, running down their hair and skin. She tensed, growing uncomfortable.

As if sensing her discomfort, Logan cracked a smile and pulled back just enough so that her calves slid from behind his knees to rest against the rock. Mina swallowed, "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." Her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears and she immediately felt a blush rise to her cheeks.

"You're welcome, Darlin'," Logan replied, taking a single step backwards. Then, he seemed to think about it, his head shifting a little to the side. Mina's eyes widened as his smile faded, leaving a heated look in its wake. She tried to give in to her modesty and look away, but her eyes could not seem to stray from their current course—Logan.

With a determined stride, Logan resumed his place in front of her, pressing so close, so quick, that she automatically shifted so that his hips were braced between her knees. "Ask me," he said softly.

Mina furrowed her brow, "What?"

"Ask me," Logan repeated, his body arching over her slightly.

"Ask you what, exactly?"

He gave her a tight smile, his hands coming up to rest on the rock at either side of her hips. "I don't steal kisses," he said. "Ask me."

Mina narrowed her eyes at him in understanding. "Somehow I doubt that. And as for your…request, not a chance," she intoned tersely, her feather immediately ruffled at his audacity.

Logan smirked, "We'll see about that."

He pushed away from her suddenly, stirring up the water around her thighs. Mina watched his back as he waded through the pool, her eyes tracing the muscles from shoulder to hips. She sighed, leaning her head back against the rocks and allowing the water to trickle over her cheeks and down her neck. Damnit, but he was confusing. And sexy. And probably the sweetest man to ever attempt to save her life. Mina smirked…so there was a soft side to Logan, though obviously not physically. She felt shivers run down her spine as she remembered the feel of his thighs pressed between her knees and the smooth flex of muscle beneath her fingertips.

Feeling a whole new kind of heat rise, Mina dunked herself back into the pool and swam to the ladder. On her way back inside, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. Dinner was fast approaching and she didn't want to run into any of her students half naked—it wouldn't make a good impression, and would probably cause some loss of control in the classroom. They would be working on the obstacle course next as a test of their endurance, stamina, and quick thinking. She hoped to be able to get them working as a team soon. The thought stopped her…would it be possible that she could prepare some of her top students to work with the X-men?

Mina mood, already soaring due to her recent pool excursion, lightened even more. She almost laughed with the giddiness of actually serving a purpose once again, a feeling she had once thought completely beyond her reach. After several long months of listlessness, she finally had a goal to strive toward, something to get her out of bed and thinking every day. It was a heady kind of power she felt, a pleasure that she had long forgotten.

After dressing and pulling her hair over her should in a braid, Mina hopped down the stairs and into the cafeteria. She made her tray of food, then sat down with Ororo at the teacher's table. The motherly woman noticed her bright disposition, saying, "Either you just got a truckload of good news, or you got laid."

Mina blushed hard, her mind automatically rewinding Logan leaning over her in the pool. She shook her head, chuckling. "Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of a dry spell," she said in reply, catching sight of Logan strolling in. He'd changed into his usual white shirt and jeans; a look that Mina decided suited his understated nature. She hid the deepening red of her cheeks by picking at her food. "I've decided I want to help the…team." She really didn't know if talking about the X-men was allowed aboveground, but her ideas were flowing freely and she wanted some advice before she put them into action.

"How so?" Ororo asked, spearing a green bean with her fork.

"I want to help train the students to work with us," Mina began, tugging on her braid as Logan finished loading food onto his tray and ambled their way. She tried to keep her mind away from the taut expanse of fabric stretched over his form and on the present conversation with Ororo, an activity she was finding increasingly difficult. "I'm thinking of creating a program to help them learn how to work as a team, how to accomplish missions—something like that. Is this making sense?"

"It makes perfect sense," Ororo said smilingly, her pale hair falling over her eyes as she bent over her food.

"What makes perfect sense?" Logan interjected as he sat down, his form taking up half of the opposite side of the table.

Ororo flicked her gaze over to Mina, her eyes saying clearly that it was Mina's idea and she should be the one to tell the story. Mina chewed on her lip, hesitant to speak her mind. She eyed Logan from across the table, wondering just how he would take the news of her endeavor. He didn't seem the mocking type, but she _had_ been wrong before, Fuller was a perfect example of that.

"I'm, um, working with the students to, ah, train them for the X-men." Jiminy Cricket, she sounded like some walking idiot, didn't she?

Mina cast a furtive glance Ororo's way, finding her working intently on some papers. She mentally rolled her eyes, knowing she was on her own for this one. With a mental sigh, Mina returned to attention to Logan, who was chewing thoughtfully.

"How're you gonna do that?"

"I'm going to help them work as a team, build trust between them. I've been through this kind of training before, so it shouldn't be that hard." She leaned on an elbow, trying for nonchalant. Absently, she wondered just what had attracted his attention by the pool, how he had come to her rescue when the area was completely deserted. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Logan smiled disarmingly, "Good luck," he grunted between bites.

Mina bristled, "What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugged, "They're teenagers, Mina." She tried not to shiver at the way his voice lowered to a purr as his mouth rolled over her name. "Each an' every one of them has a story, an' each one is worse than the last. Building trust won't be easy."

"Well then it's a good thing I'm not looking for easy," Mina shot back, leaning away from the table in ire. Logan's eyes grew light with amusement, and she was barely able to suppress her blush as he gave her a slow once over.

"Neither am I," he intoned softly. He broke her gaze and Mina lowered her head to focus on her food. Then, she got an idea—a wonderful, brilliant, scary idea.

"Help me, then," she said suddenly, her hands gripping the edges of the table nervously.

Logan coughed a little, swallowing. "What?"

"Since you're so knowledgeable what the students need and how to teach them, why don't you help me?" Mina said, lifting her chin. She saw the spark of a challenge bloom in his eyes and she held her breath. He looked at her for a long time, until Mina's lungs began to rebel in her chest.

"Okay," he said simply, and Mina exhaled as discreetly as she knew how. She smiled her thanks, then picked up her tray, determined to make her exit before Logan decided to change his mind.

On her way back to her room, Mina caught sight of a pair of figures sneaking down the stairs. She pulled herself into the shadows and edged around the corner, angling her head to get a better look. Two students she recognized as Marie and Bobby flitted down the staircase, hands held between them. Mina smiled. Young love was a refreshing change of pace for her, what with all the running and hiding she'd done lately.

She waited until the couple had slipped out the front door to step out of the darkness and resume her trip to her room. As she reached for the doorknob, a thought hit her so hard that she stumbled back. Mentally chastising herself, she turned a one-eighty, and marched back to the cafeteria—she'd forgotten to tell him about the obstacle course.

Breathing a curse as she entered the busy lunch room, Mina searched for Logan's unmistakable form. Unfortunately, it looked like he'd left already, leaving Ororo with her papers. She approached the woman, leaning over her shoulder with one hand. "Did you see where Logan went?" She asked. "I need to talk to him about something."

Ororo glanced up, "I think he went back to his room to get a jacket. The guys are going out to shoot some pool tonight."

"Thanks," Mina replied with a wave. "I'll see you later!"

Rushing from the room, Mina practically ran down the halls to the teacher's quarters, and to Logan's door. Before knocking, she took a moment to calm her breathing and straighten her hair. Once satisfied that she didn't look like a wild woman, she rapped softly on the wooden panel. There was a soft fumbling from inside, then the knob turned and the door opened to reveal Logan holding a supple leather jacket in one hand.

"Hey," Mina said quickly, "I need your help with something. You see, I'm working on this obstacle course and I don't know where anything is and I figured, since you're familiar with all the gym equipment, and you said you'd help me out that you would—help me out, that is." Her words rolled off her tongue quickly, and her embarrassment grew with every successive syllable. She was rambling, an unfortunate side effect of Logan's presence, but it was something she was willing to deal with in order to get hold of his help.

Logan leaned against the doorjamb, his hand balancing his weight above his head. He flipped the jacked over one shoulder, "Ya know, I was gonna to ask you about that at dinner, but you rushed out so quickly…"

"Yes, I know. I was a little distracted. Will you help me?"

His expression said that Logan knew exactly why Mina had been distracted, but he let it pass. Instead, he dropped his hand and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him. Mina stumbled back to maintain the space between them and her sanity, waiting for his answer. She fell into step beside him as he meandered down the hall at a leisurely pace.

They walked for several minutes, finally reaching the stairs before Logan turned to face her. "What d'ya have in mind, darlin'?"

"I don't really know what's available to me—that's where you come in," Mina replied, leaning on the banister.

Logan smiled, "And all this time, I thought you were usin' me for my looks."

For a beat, Mina debated about whether or not to engage in the playful banter that Logan so obviously placed between them. She'd seen this kind of behavior before, and knew exactly what he was hinting at. With a smirk, she decided to play his game, if only a little. "You've caught me, Logan. I've got the boys covered, but I'm worried about the girls. I don't seem to hold their attention as well and I figured that if I give them something nice to look at, they might just learn something."

Logan's smiled spread to a full on grin, a dimple appearing on each of his whiskered cheeks. "Is that so?" he said slowly. Mina looked up at him through her lashes, enjoying a moment of social victory she rarely got to participate in. "Well, I guess you can count me in. When do we start?"

"Tomorrow," Mina replied perkily, "I want to have the whole course set up by Monday."

Logan nodded thoughtfully, "Alright. I'll see ya after breakfast tomorrow morning. 'Bout eleven?"

Mina smiled widely, "Thanks Logan, I really appreciate it."

A devious look crossed Logan's features, stopping Mina's gratitude in mid-air. She gave him a sidelong glance and took a tiny, wary step backwards. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, the ring swirling over his fingers. "You can thank me by shootin' some pool tonight. Scott invited Jean and I'm thinkin' I'll be a third wheel." He leaned forward, daring her, "Why don't you come out with me and even out the score?"

Mina's mouth went dry. Was he asking her out on a date? Or was this a co-worker type engagement? She sighed in defeat. Either way, she couldn't go, not if she wanted to stay off Fuller's extensive radar. With a shake of her head, she gave Logan a pleading look. "I really can't. I'm sorry, I can't explain. Thank you, though, for agreeing to help out." She turned on her heel and fled, afraid he'd push the issue and get her to change her mind.

When she got back to her room, Mina leaned against the door. Rubbing her temples, she tried to convince herself that all she wanted from Logan was his help with the students, that she didn't want to get involved with him, that she didn't want to kiss him every time he looked at her with fire in his eyes. It was a tough battle; one she knew she couldn't win. But she'd pushed her feelings away before, and she would do it again, if only for his safety—especially for his safety. She had to stay away from Logan, in case she had to run for her life, or his.

**I know, the ending is a little cliche, but I orignally had this chapter and the next planned as one, but I wanted to give you readers a present for the weekend and the second half isn't ready yet. I promise, there will be more soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Since you've all been so patient, here's a chapter that's a little bit longer than normal. The characters have been a little more difficult to work with and I was having massive writer's block. So, I went to go see the X-men Origins: Wolverine movie. Let me just say that I was doing a drool check every couple of minutes. XD**

**Anyways, I hope to bring Fuller into the picture very soon, within the next couple of chapters. **

**I won't be doing any chapters from Logan's POV, at least not in the main story, but I might throw some bonus chapters in at the end. I usually don't like to switch POV's in a story, It makes it hard for me to keep up with the flow of action. **

The sun seared through Mina's eyes lids, waking her from the deepest sleep she'd had in months. With a groan, she rolled over and pulled the sheet up and over her head. Still, the relentless lights pierced the fabric, leaving Mina to huff in exasperation with the knowledge that she would get no more sleep that morning. She rubbed at her eyes and slipped out from beneath the sheet, pushing her unruly bangs away from her face and glancing at the clock.

"Shit!" It was fifteen 'til eleven and Logan was probably already waiting. She threw herself off the bed and rushed to the bathroom. Pulling a brush through her hair, she smoothed the strands while brushing her teeth and stepping out of her pajama bottoms. With five minutes to spare, she ran from the room, pulling a tank top over her head as she went.

Stumbling down the stairs, Mina rushed past the cafeteria and straight into the kitchen. She plucked an apple out of the bowl in the center of the island and guzzled a glass of water for breakfast. About halfway through the glass, Logan strode in looking both haggard and put together in a pair of jeans, tank top, and a plaid shirt. Mina lowered the glass and wiped at her mouth, "I'm so sorry, Logan, I overslept."

"Don't worry about it," he replied, leaning against the island in the center of the room. "I'm not at one-hundred percent, either." He rubbed at his eyes wearily, squinting against the light.

Mina smiled, "So I'm guessing last night was fun."

"Ya guessed right, darlin'," he grumbled, rubbing at his temples, "Maybe a little too much fun."

Mina rolled her eyes, pushing away from the counter and stepping to the fridge. Logan wouldn't be any good to her hung over, but luckily she knew something to remedy that little situation. She pulled a jug of tomato juice from the fridge, along with a Gatorade from the bottom shelf. Placing both containers in from of Logan, she said, "Pick one."

"What?"

"Pick one, Logan. You're no good to me dragging along with a hangover. You need to replenish your vitamins." She touched each in turn, saying, "Pick one. We've got a lot of work to do and I want you fully functional."

Logan smirked at her from over the top of the bottles, one hand reaching out and sliding the tomato juice away from him. He opened the Gatorade and took a long pull. "Thanks."

"No problem," Mina replied, replacing the unused juice. She waited a moment for Logan to practically inhale the Gatorade, then stepped around him to the door. "Ready?"

Logan twisted the cap back on the bottle, tossing the empty container into a nearby garbage can, "After you, darlin'."

Unsettled by the sly look in his eyes, Mina spun on her heel and made her way out of the school to the back yard. She had already scouted out a place to erect the course, deciding to put the students through their paces in the tree-laden woods of the backyard. Not only would they have to navigate the course, but also the rough terrain of the outer limits of the school's land.

Logan followed her silently, his steps making not a sound behind her as she navigated further away from the school. "I want to put up flags to mark the course," Mina called back, touching trees along the way to emphasize her point. "I think some tires over there, a rope to swing over the pond in the back—maybe relay would be better. What do you think?" She turned to check his facial expression only to find Logan standing almost nose-to-nose with her. Stepping back instinctively, she flicked the hair out of her eyes and stared up at him.

Relaxing his stance, Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around. "Using the terrain against them…it's a good idea." He stepped around her and leaned against a nearby tree, fixing a curious look her way. "Where d'ya come up with the idea of training the students like this?"

Mina furrowed her brow, a little confused by his line of questioning, "I don't know. I figured it's what the professor would want—a new generation of X-men for when you guys retire."

Logan's lifted a brow, as if appalled by the idea that he'd get too old to go out on missions. "Well, it's a nice change of pace 'round here," he said, stepping away from the tree and onto a narrow trail. Mina followed a few steps behind, watching him move with almost catlike grace over fallen logs and boulders. Again, she was amazed at his economy of movement. He seemed to relax in the ambiance of nature, as if he'd finally entered into his element.

They walked for a few more moments until they came up against a fissure in the earth. The gap stood five feet across and at least ten feet deep, and it was perfect for the course. Mina tiptoed to the edge and studied the crevice before her. "How about this?" She said. "I think its perfect."

Logan nodded, stepping back and leaping across the gap with an competence that shouldn't have surprised her. Mina looked at him from across the empty space, smiling. "Show off!" She called, wondering if she could make the jump, herself. Logan chuckled, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and gesturing for her to follow.

Mina shook her head vehemently, "Nuh uh, not a chance. I'd fall and break my neck and then where would we be?"

Seeing that there was absolutely no way that she was going to jump the fissure, Logan relented and leapt back over the gap with ease. "One of these days," he said as he brushed past her, "You're going to have to let me catch you."

She watched his back as he strode back the way they came, not sure exactly what he meant. Torn between asking him outright and letting the moment pass, Mina stumbled along after him, matching his pace with difficulty. They worked their way back to the school and towards the garage where Logan helped Mina find some supplies.

While scooping up a pile of rope, Mina spotted a tower of large tires sitting unused in the corner. "Do you think those will be missed?" She asked, pointing.

Logan glanced up from winding one end of the rope, "Scott uses those as spares for the jet." He paused for a beat, thinking. "We can use 'em."

Smirking, Mina stepped over to the tower and pulled at the top tire, allowing it to bounce to the ground. She rolled it towards the garage opening and started on pulling the next tire down. They worked for an hour or two to set out everything for the course, lining up all the supplies along the tree line.

Wiping at the sweat trickling down her neck, Mina shaded her eyes against the rising sun, "It's getting to be about lunchtime. Maybe we should take a break?"

Logan hefted a bag of netting to the ground with a grunt, "Sounds like a plan." He gave their supplies one last look, his eyes scanning the area critically. "I think we can work with this."

Maneuvering around a pile of flags, Mina nodded, "I don't know, Logan, we might be making it a little too easy for them. I mean, if _you_ can make it through, being an old man and all, they certainly can manage the course."

Logan slanted an annoyed glance her way, his shoulders straightening with the challenge. "Old?" he huffed, stepping over so that he towered over her. "Darlin' I could give you a run for your money."

Mina swallowed, but refused to back down so quickly. She'd learned early on that intimidation would only work on those without a backbone—and she definitely had one. Winding him up was fast becoming a favorite pastime for her, and she was finding it surprisingly easy. "Really?" she said on a low whisper, "Well, I'll believe that when I see it."

With a sly smile, she turned and strode across the lawn to the kitchen's side door, laughing at Logan's growling reply. It was just too easy now that she'd found the right triggers, and his reactions did provide a kind of excitement for her.

Once inside, Mina went straight for the sink and filled a glass with water. The day, while breezy, still left her parched and ready for a cool-down. As she gulped the water, Mina heard Logan slip through the side door. She waited a beat, then turned and leaned against the counter, studying him as he pulled a beer from the fridge. A soft _snikt_, and he popped the top off the bottle with one metallic claw.

It was the second time she'd seen his mutation, the razor sharp knives slicing through the space between his knuckles. Mina crept forward, curious to see the lethal knives that had flashed in front of her during her first training session. She stared them down, one hand reaching out to run lightly along the length.

Logan held perfectly still the other two claws sliding out slowly, effortlessly. He waited patiently as she turned his hand over, her fingers pressing along the tendons and bones in his palm, wrist, and forearms. Mina barely breathed, having never seen such a mutation before, the strange kind of sheen in the metal unfamiliar and intriguing.

After investigating the nuances of the unsheathed claws, Mina realized that she probably appeared to be one crayon short of a full box to Logan. Blushing, she stepped back, rubbing at the back of her neck anxiously. "Sorry," she murmured, "It's just that, since that day in the woods, I've wanted to get a closer look."

Logan shifted his weight a bit, his claws sliding easily back into the safety of his skin, " 's alright," replied, taking a pull from his beer. "I've been curious, myself, about your mutation. How d'ya get by me that day?"

Mina smiled, "Trade secret, Logan. Besides, we might play again sometime and I want to keep my wits about me."

Logan leaned one hip on the island in the center of the kitchen, observing Mina with a calculative gaze. He inhaled, cocking his head to the side. Whatever he would have said was lost as Ororo strode into the room, her pale hair swinging free behind her.

"Mina! Just the woman I was looking for," she called happily.

Mina smiled, waving, "Here I am," she replied, "What's up?"

"We're hitting the pool hall tonight…now don't shake your head like that. It's ladies night, and drinks are half price. Come on, you've been here a whole week and you have barely left the mansion."

Chuckling at the slight whine in Ororo's voice, Mina flicked her bangs from her eyes, desperately trying to come up with a satisfactory reason for why she shouldn't go. But the longer she thought, the more sure Ororo became with her pleading.

"Where is this pool hall?" Mina edged, chancing a glance at Logan, who was watching her from over the top of his bottle.

Ororo smiled, sure in her victory, "It's just down the street, within walking distance in case you have one too many. Please, come with us, it would really bring us teammates together." Mina started at the mention of the X-men, not wanting to create a rift between her and the people who could be called on to protect her, should Fuller ever discover where Mina had gone.

Finally, she relented, "A team-building exercise? Really, Ororo, you probably would have done better if you'd said Scott was going to be doing Karaoke on stage." She waited a beat, then said, "I'll go. _But_ only for a couple of hours. I mean it, Ororo, I won't be staying out until all hours of the morning."

The conditional affirmation seemed to be enough for the earthy woman, who beamed, "I'm going to tell Jean. You wouldn't happen to have a brown belt, would you?" Mina shook her head, "Damn, I'll just have to do without, then." With a nod to Logan, Ororo swept from the room, excitement written all over her gait.

Mina watched Ororo go, and then turned an almost embarrassed head to Logan. After she'd turned him down the previous night, she thought he might be a little put off by her acceptance of Ororo's invitation only one day later. He had set his empty bottle down on the counter and folded his arms across his broad chest, leveling a sardonic gaze her way.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"You know what," Logan replied gruffly. Mina felt a blush creep high onto her cheeks, her stomach twisting restlessly.

"Well," she said, "You'd be surprised what a simple 'please' can do." Feeling somewhat inundated by Logan's continued gaze, she set her cup down beside his bottle and strode to the door. "We should probably finish working on the course, then. I'll need to get cleaned up if I'm going to appear in public after a whole week of cloistering myself here. I may have fallen behind on the current fashions."

Logan shoved from the counter and followed her out of the door and into the backyard. They worked until the sun threatened to dip below the horizon, setting up flags and obstacles, digging surprise trenches and erecting a shockingly sturdy rope bridge. When Mina trudged out of the woods that day, she had sweat rolling down her cheeks, and dirt and leaves in places she really didn't want to think about. Her hands were covered in muck and her legs burned from the exertion of running the course twice to test the difficulty. Logan, of course, seemed right at home.

Giving a halfhearted wave, Mina threw herself inside and climbed the stairs. She made it to her room in record time, knowing that she only had two hours to shower, dress, and primp for her night on the town. With an exhausted groan, she stepped into the shower and proceeded to wash away the evidence of the day.

Standing in front of her bathroom mirror, Mina examined her outfit—jeans, boots, fitted tee...she debated on whether her clothing was a little too casual. She sighed, pinning her hair back away from her face and applying some mascara. It was the best she was going to put together last minute. Ororo had knocked on her door to let her know that the group was leaving in half an hour, and that was twenty minutes ago. Stepping back from the mirror, Mina gave her body a once over. She decided that she looked pretty damn good, for the most part.

After grabbing her jacket from her bedpost, Mina shuffled into the hall and down the staircase. She peeked over the banister to where Ororo stood chatting amiably with Scott. She was wearing a flirty peasant top and form-fitting jeans with heels—her outfit made Mina feel a little less self-conscious about her own clothing. Feeling a sudden burst of enthusiasm for the trip, Mina stepped down the stairs and joined the small group of revelers. Ororo welcomed her with a light hug and a glance to her watch.

"She's late," she said moodily. "Scott, I love Jean. Really, I do, but if she holds up the group for over an hour like last week, you may be short one fiancée."

Scott chuckled, dimples appearing on either side of his boyish mouth, "I'll just go get her."

"No need," Jean said from the top of the stairs. Mina craned her head to catch a glimpse, and wished she hadn't. Jean looked beautiful, absolutely stunning in a red halter top and black linen pants, her feet daintily set in a pair of gold heels. Her luminous red hair was twisted into a knot at the base of her neck and little wisps of hair had escaped, creating an effect that was effortlessly alluring.

Mina looked down at her plain tee and jeans, wishing she'd spent a little extra money to buy something that made her look as exquisite as Jean did slithering down the stairs to them. So enthralled was she in the appearance of Jean, Mina missed Logan stepping down a few paces after her until the motion of his jacket swinging around his shoulders jolted her back to attention.

"I didn't know you were coming with us," she said mildly, her eyes straying to Jean.

Logan shrugged, adjusting the leather around his shoulders, "Figured now was as good a time as any."

"For what?"

Ororo clapped her hands together, asking if everybody was ready. Then, the group made their way through the door and out into the cooling night. Mina zipped her coat, shoving her hands into her pockets and striding out behind Scott, who walked hand in hand with Jean. Ororo led the way and Logan fell into step beside her.

"You didn't answer my question," Mina said quietly. She stepped through the gates with some trepidation, knowing that at any minute she could be caught and everything would be ruined—she pulled her collar high over her cheeks.

Logan lit a cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "What question was that?"

"Now was as good a time as any," Mina quoted. "For what?" She had to lengthen her strides to match his longer legs, but their pace was still slow, steady, and the distance between them and the rest of the group was widening.

"It's as good a time as any to see you outside of school grounds was all I meant, Mina." His slanted her a sidelong glance, his hair falling over his brows. Mina studied him for a moment, categorizing the way the dimly lit night accentuated the hard planes of his face. God, but he was attractive…she had to look away lest she do something incredibly stupid, like hurl herself at him.

They walked in silence for the rest of the short trip to the pool hall, their shoes crunching over the graveled entrance. Mina allowed Logan to open the door for her, the others having entered a few scant minutes before.

The pool hall wasn't so much a pool hall as it was a dance club/bar/diner with pool tables in the back. Mina scanned the room, her eyes automatically picking out nice spaces of shadows for cover, and her mind instinctively looking for any of Fuller's men. Once clear, she followed Logan across the room to a large round table. Ororo ushered her over, handing her a beer.

"See," she said gleefully, "This isn't so bad."

Mina had to agree that the atmosphere seemed intimately relaxed, more relaxed than any club she'd been in before. People chatted happily with whomever sat around them, sipping beer of taking the occasional shot at the bar. There was a four-piece rock 'n' roll band playing on the stage, the rhythm of the bass rumbling gently against her ribs. All in all, Mina thought the place was a nice change from the slightly stiff ambiance of the school.

Leaning back into her seat, Mina sipped at her beer, allowing the tension in her body to melt away. It had been so long since she'd been able to simply _be_, what with Fuller always on her trail. The feeling was unfamiliar, but greatly welcomed. By the third round, she was feeling almost serene.

Ororo kept the conversation flowing, her hands gesturing occasionally. Mina laughed at the appropriate times, but kept one eye on Logan, who sat listening quietly across from her. Somewhere in the midst of her absentminded lethargy, Scott had challenged Logan to a game of pool. After a moment's hesitation, the two men stood from the table and made their way to the back of the room, each posturing in their own way.

Jean leaned over to Ororo, saying something low enough that Mina couldn't hear it over the band, and followed them carrying a pint in each hand. Unsure if she was allowed to follow, Mina looked Ororo for guidance. Her friend gave her a knowing look, shaking her head. "I wish I'd brought the camera," Ororo said in amusement. "This should be good."

Jerking to her feet, Mina stepped in behind Ororo just as Scott began to pull the balls from the pockets. She watched as Logan selected a cue, his steps pacing around the rim of the table. Scott racked the balls, taking his cue stick from Jean, who also offered him a glass. "You can break," he said, nodding to Logan.

"You sure about that?" Logan asked.

Shrugging, Scott wrapped an arm around Jean and leaned against a nearby table. "I'm sure."

With a brusque shrug of his own, Logan stepped around to the cue ball and leaned to take his shot. With his attention focused on the table in front of him, Mina was able to gaze openly at the careful way he measured his shot, the pull of muscle from fingertips to shoulder as he sent the cue ball spiraling towards the triangle at the far end of the table. Balls of every color exploded from the impact, several sliding into pockets.

They took turns until the table was nearly clear. The game was a back-and-forth stint of hard looks and smirking mouths, the sight of which nearly had Mina rolling her eyes. Their actions reminded her sharply of her missions, her teammates always trying to outdo each other. It was an uneasy camaraderie, full of fear and distrust. Tendrils of suspicion dripped down Mina's spine, causing the hairs on her arms to stand on end and her chest to constrict. The room was fast becoming a suffocating blanket of worry and gut-clenching terror. She had to get out.

Setting her beer on a nearby table, Mina rushed out the back door, throwing herself into the cool night air and shadows. She slipped instinctively into the darkness around the corner, hiding herself from all prying eyes. Out there, in the vast expanse of the night, Mina was able to breathe deeply. She floated along for a moment, gathering her wits and tying to come up with a story to tell Ororo when she got back.

The back door swung open and Logan's booted feet stepped down the stairs. Mina pressed herself against the side of the building, praying that he wouldn't catch sight of her just yet. Frantically, she tried to pull herself together, wiping angrily at her cheeks. Logan walked a few paces, the gravel crunching beneath him.

"Mina!" he called, scanning the empty lot.

Steeling her resolve, Mina stepped up behind him, "Here, Logan."

She must have startled him, because his body tensed and his claws slid into place. Mina raised a brow, a smirk sliding over her lips. She scuffed her feet against the dirt, sending dust flying up into the space between them. It spiraled in on itself, finally landing softly not far from its original foundation.

"You alright?" Logan asked, flexing his claws back into his forearms.

Mina nodded, "Yea, just got a little overwhelmed. I've never really been good with alcohol." It was a true enough statement. Breaking and entering required a focused mind, and alcohol wasn't exactly conducive to good decision-making.

He gave a look that said he didn't really believe her, but Logan let it go, saying, "You know that from first hand experience?"

"No, but I've seen enough to know the consequences," Mina replied. "Did you win?"

Logan scoffed, "Your little escape threw me off my shot, ended out scratching on the eight." He cocked his head to the side, his eyes running slowly down Mina's body, from head to toe. "I'd say that means you owe me a drink."

Mina lowered her chin, looking up at him from beneath her lashes, "How do you figure that?"

"Because," he said, "If you hadn't distracted me, then I would've sunk that shot. The bet was a drink. You owe me."

Mina bristled a little at his choice of words, the phrase all too familiar—Fuller's favorite guilt mechanism. But she reasoned with herself that this was _not _Fuller, and Logan had no intention of taking advantage of her—at least not her mutation.

While she considered her next choice of words, Logan closed the space between them, hovering over her expectantly. Mina held his gaze, feeling the heat generated by his body, even through the chill of the night and the layers of clothing she had on. There was a brief moment where time seemed to suspend itself, where his breath mingled with hers, and it was almost as if their essences were tying together.

"How about that drink?" Logan murmured, resting his palm on her hip. The motion pulled her that much closer, until they were brushing against each other, from chest to knee.

Mina cocked her head to the side, "Are you always this demanding?" She reached up and grasped his biceps for leverage, pulling her body up until she was almost at eyes level with him. "You don't have to be… you'd be surprised what you'd get when you say 'please'." With that, she rose to her toes and touched her lips to his, allowing herself only the briefest of tastes before pulling away and turning towards the door.

As she stepped inside the bustling bar, Mina heard a distinct growl come from behind her. It put a slight hitch in her step, signaling that she might have finally pushed Logan a little too far. Honestly, she had no idea why she'd kissed him, only that it had be wonderful and she fully intended to try it again, when his guard was lowered.

**Please, Please, Please Review!!! Much love!**

** CA  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so sorry this chapter is so late. I had a major computer meltdown this week and had to put off working on the story to get it back together. Luckily, everything is good now, so I should be back to updating as usual--about once a week. *Ducks*As it is, this chapter isn't edited as well as my others, so forgive the mistakes. I really wanted to give you guys something after such a long break.  
**

**For all of you who reviewed so far, thank you so much. It means a lot to me that y'all are reading this, and even more that you are taking the time to review, so.... in honor of all my reviewers, I promise (and I do mean promise) that there is a nice little tidbit of Mina/Logan action in this chapter. No lemon, but definitely citrus flavored. XD  
**

**Reviews=Love, my friends  
**

She was five deep and she really didn't know how many Logan had, had that night, but they were both stumbling down the steps of the pool hall at two am. Drunk as skunks.

Mina held on tight to Logan's leather-clad arm, wondering just how she'd gotten into her jacket when she'd thrown it across the room half an hour before. Ororo had convinced them all (and by all, she meant herself, Jean, and Mina) that dancing on the bar was an excellent idea. And, truly, Mina couldn't help herself. The band had been replaced with a very skilled DJ and the thrumming beat seemed to sink into her bones, forcing her to move with the others. Or maybe it was the searing looks Logan kept sending her way that made her want to swivel her hips in time.

Either way, it had probably been one of the best nights of her life, even with the alcohol induced fog. Breaking away from Logan, Mina spun in circles in the street, soaking up the chilled air and silver moonlight. Dew was forming over everything, giving the world a glassy sheen that made Mina think of waking dreams. She tapped out a beat with her feet, sliding in and out of shadow with ease.

"So that's how you do it," Logan said striding closer. He looked at her for a moment, his hair disheveled from where he'd run his hands through it earlier. Chuckling as she remembered his dark look from below the bar, Mina paused and shrugged.

"It's a talent," she replied, reaching out to steady herself on a parked car.

Logan smiled widely, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the school. Mina had elected to go home early, and Logan had volunteered to walk her home—the others unwilling to leave so early. Mina huffed. Early? She guessed that their missions kept them out to all hours of the night and that they were used to staying out late and waking up early—a talent she had yet to acquire.

Clinging to Logan, Mina felt every bit like a teenager sneaking into her parents' house after staying out way past curfew. They shushed each other loudly as they keyed in, taking the steps carefully. Logan kept one arm around her shoulders, the other holding her around her waist to catch her if she fell, which was often. And Mina leaned on him heavily as they made their way to her room.

When they finally stumbled inside, she and Logan hushed each other with exaggerated whispers. Mina flicked on the light with a giggle, throwing her jacket over a nearby chair and moving to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and leaned heavily against the sink. Her reflection showed a woman who had spent the last few hours having the time of her life, which was completely true. Never had she laughed so hard or enjoyed spending time with her peers so much.

Splashing some water on her face to cool her burning cheeks, Mina straightened her shirt and opened the bathroom door. Logan was propped up on her headboard, one leg bent, an elbow resting on his knee, the other stretched out in front of him. He had removed his boots and socks and Mina realized the she had yet to actually see his feet. It made him look somehow more vulnerable, but that was something she was going to keep to herself—didn't want to bruise his fragile ego.

Stepping away from the door, Mina approached him tentatively. She knelt on the bed opposite him and, not sure what would be appropriate to say, stared at him. He returned her gaze for a moment, then he reached for her. "You look tired, darlin'," he drawled softly.

Absently, Mina recognized that she was absolutely exhausted from the hectic day she'd had. She yawned as Logan slid down the bed and arranged her body to lay against him, her softer curves fitting snugly against his sharper angles.

There was a beat of comfortable silence before Logan reached back to flick off the lamp.

It was still very dark when Mina woke. She was laying across Logan's softly moving chest, her legs tangled up with his and the sheets twisted around her ankles. She shifted stiffly, her body protesting her slumber in jeans. Lifting herself off to the side of the bed, Mina shuffled over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of soft cotton shorts. She shoved off her jeans and stepped into the shorts, pulling off her top afterwards. When she'd slipped on a tank to, she turned and spied Logan leaning on one elbow, watching her intently.

"Do you need to change?" She asked, feeling stupid for not knowing quite what to do with a man like Logan in her bed. "I mean, jeans aren't really comfortable to sleep in." She stood there awkwardly for a beat, waiting for his response. With a sigh, he nodded, hoisting his broad frame off the mattress. Mina shot into action, digging through her drawers for her biggest pair of sweatpants.

By the time she'd pulled them from the bottom of the dresser, Logan had shucked off his shirt and was working on the button of his jeans. Mina blushed hotly. The confidence brought on by the alcohol had worn off long ago, leaving her clumsy and unsure. She set the sweatpants down on the dresser, turning to give him some privacy. While he changed, Mina busied herself with sliding beneath the rumpled sheets and shuffling to her side of the bed. She felt the mattress dip behind her and the heat of Logan's body pressing against her back. Sighing, she relaxed into his embrace and allowed him to bend her to his form. He nuzzled the back of her neck softly, inhaling so deep that she could feel the expansion of his chest and abdomen at her back. Logan let out the breath on a growl, his arms tightening just the tiniest bit before settling back into sleep.

This was how Mina woke when she sun had become too bright to ignore the next morning. She took a moment to revel in the feeling of Logan's arms wrapped possessively around her waist, his thigh pressing intimately between her own. It was a strange feeling to be so wrapped up in another person that she really didn't know where she stopped and he began. His slightly darker skin melded smoothly into her own, creating one gradient of color and nerve endings that seemed to be firing at will all over her body.

Moving slowly, so as to not wake him, Mina arched her neck to look at the clock. It was late morning, far too late to be sleeping in when her course started tomorrow. But Mina decided that the late start of the day was completely worth it, if only because her sheets would still smell like him later that night.

Logan stretched behind her, curling around her even more and soaking her in his scent and heat. His hand moved from where it rested next to her bent arms, sliding along her skin to her stomach, left bare by the hitch in her tank top. Mina tried to steady her breathing as his rough fingertips traced invisible patterns across her skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake. He adjusting his grip, pressing her hips back to nestle against his own, where the evidence of his waking settled firmly into the small of her back.

It was then that he seemed to wake fully, his hand stilling in its upward motion. Mina felt him take a few heavy breaths, then roll to his back. She followed suit, missing his warmth almost instinctively.

Rubbing at his eyes, he yawned and stretched, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. "Mornin'," he said in a sleep-husked voice.

"Morning," Mina replied, propping her head up on her elbow to get a better look at him. His hair was sweetly disheveled and his eyes were groggy, and Mina found her eyes drifting down to his torso, which flexed with every movement he made. And he was _in her bed_, which made him all that more alluring. It was no use denying her attraction, least of all to him. Her sudden and slightly embarrassing kiss last night had eradicated any option for going back to him merely growling at her occasionally her tugging on the tiger's tail, metaphorically speaking.

When he didn't make any move to rise, Mina threw back the covers and pivoted off the bed, "I need a shower," she grumbled, "I smell like cigarette smoke and booze."

She toddled to the door, barely suppressing the urge to turn and stare at him, laid up in her bed, when he murmured, "I happen to like the way you smell."

It was so quiet she almost didn't hear it, and she didn't want to chance him denying ever saying it by confronting him. It would be a perfect little memory to play over and over in her head until she could convince herself that he hadn't actually said it, and his confession was merely a figment of her imagination.

After showering off, Mina realized that she hadn't brought anything with her to change into. She shrugged, mollified by the thought that Logan had probably already returned to his room to do the same. Wrapping a towel around her body, she stepped back into the bedroom and immediately regretted it. Logan was still laying on her bed, one hand folded neatly beneath his head, his eyes searing her from head to toe.

Flushing ten shades of crimson, Mina awkwardly tiptoed to her wardrobe and made of show of trying to pick out what to wear. All the while, she could feel Logan's eyes burning a hole through the back of her towel, the heat flickering up her spine to the back of her neck. She ignored the rustling of fabric behind her, pulling out a tank top and a pair of khaki shorts—Logan's warm hand on the back of her neck nearly scared her out of her wits.

Mina let out a squeak of surprise, clutching at the towel bound around her chest for support. Logan chuckled a little, "Should be more aware of your surroundings, darlin'." If only he knew just how aware of him she was. She could feel every vast inch of him in the room, could taste the salty texture of his skin. He was barely touching her but she could feel him all over.

Something darkened in Logan's eyes, the iris almost disappearing in the blackness. He inhaled sharply; his fingers applying just the slightest pressure to her skin, tilting her head back effortlessly. Mina licked her lips in anticipation. Maybe kissing him the previous night hadn't been such a bad idea in the first place. Maybe he really felt as attracted to her as she did to him—maybe not _as_ attracted, but attracted nonetheless.

His chin dipped just a fraction, then he seemed to come to himself, his hand falling from it's position cradling the back of her head, tracing a line from shoulder to elbow. "Do you mind if I use yer shower?" He asked.

Stunned, and not a little bit disappointed, Mina nodded dumbly, swallowing hard when he picked up his jeans and strode into the adjoining room. After waiting for the water to turn on, she stripped herself of her towel with trembling hands. It was a slow process, but she finally was able to slip on her underwear and jeans before fumbling with her tank top. The material was silky, and her head kept slipping through the armhole.

With a little bit of maneuvering, Mina righted her shirt and began to run a comb through her hair, pulling her bangs forward over her brow. She'd just applied her mascara, her body leaning towards the mirror over her dresser, when the water shut off and Logan stepped out of the bathroom in yesterday's jeans, his skin still damp from the shower. Mina watched his reflection in the mirror, her hands stilling as they twisted the wand back into the tube of her makeup.

Turning, she said, "I want to thank you for walking me home last night."

Logan lifted a brow, his hands slipping into his pockets. "No problem," he replied. "Any time."

Mina wondered if he actually meant it, 'any time'. There were so many phrases that people just _said_ during the course of a conversation, meaningless colloquialisms that told her nothing and gave her little to work with. But, then again, Logan didn't really seem the type to just say things without meaning them. He really did project the ability to mean what he said and say what he meant.

While she mulled over her thoughts, Logan had taken to opportunity to move in a little closer. Glancing up, she caught the now-familiar dark look gleaming in his eyes. She swallowed, her breath rushing in and out of her lungs over and over, filling her senses with his scent—an earthy pine and her ivory soap.

Logan moved slowly, as if the slightest sharp gesture would scare her, his palms resting on her hips. "You know what I said that day in the pool—about stealing kisses?" Mina nodded. "I lied."

And just like that, she was being kissed. His lips slid smoothly over hers, the whiskers along his cheeks scratching gently over her skin. Mina raised up onto her toes, bringing her body flush against his, her hands slipping into thick strands of hair. Everything about him overwhelmed her—his hands resting safely on her hips, his mouth rubbing imploringly against her lips, the way he seemed to be taking his time with her, a sharp cry from the aggression she'd expected.

Mina pulled him closer, gasping when he stepped forward and pressed her back into the dresser. He took advantage of her parted lips to slip his tongue just past the barrier, taking the slightest taste. Again and again he repeated the action, never fully exploring her mouth, but teasing her into action, forcing her to retaliate by rubbing her tongue alongside his, slipping along the slick underside.

If his mouth wasn't enough to keep her busy, then the steel-bound muscle wrapped in sensuous skin proved to be more than enough. She tentatively explored the smooth plane of his shoulders and back, tracing the dips and curves of muscle that she had only marveled at before. Quickly, she found out that he was ticklish where neck met shoulder and on the inside of his elbow, the resulting chuckles providing her intervals in which she could draw a breath. Logan was fascinating all over, inside and out, and Mina wanted to know everything that made this man tick.

With gentle nips, Logan traced a line down the column of her neck, pushing her hair out the way to tease near her collarbone. Mina leaned into his body, one hand anchoring him at the base of his skull, the other gripping his bicep. From there, he drew from her breathy sighs and tingling sensations that seared through her veins, providing fodder for her growing arousal. He licked, kissed, and sucked at the skin, pushing the strap of her tank top down to map out uncharted territory.

His hands gripped her a little harder, steadying her when her knees wanted to give. There were too many sensations going on, too many touches of his mouth, and yet it wasn't nearly enough. Pressed hard into the unforgiving wood of the dresser, Mina lifted a leg and wrapped it gently around his calf, creating yet another anchor to him. There was a moment where he held completely still, seemingly having found a spot on her shoulder he preferred, then he took a bit of that skin and bit down. Hard.

The tiny bite, though more rough than he had been, sent white-hot sensation over her body, tearing a ragged moan from her throat and forcing her back to arch almost unnaturally into his chest. _Snikt_.

Something in Logan seemed to snap, his countenance racing towards feral. He shoved her hard against the dresser—hard enough that she knew there would be a bruise—and growled loudly into the curve of her neck. Mina caught her breath as best she could, with her breasts crushed against him. His body felt curved around her, his shoulders arched over her bent form so that her lips brushed just over the curve of his back. Everything about his was held so tense that he was actually shaking with the exertion. Little by little, however, he did seem to loosen, though marginally.

When he finally raised his head to look down at her, Mina caught that feral core inside him, and knew that this was what Ororo had referred to when she offhandedly called him Wolverine, this inner beast that he hid so very well behind that sarcastic guise. But she refused to be afraid of him. He'd had plenty of opportunity to harm her, and she'd invited most of it, and yet he had been in complete control of himself. That was, until now.

Logan's eyes flicked down the length of her body, and she could tell that he was checking for injuries. She didn't feel hurt, but the endorphins running through her system pretty much had her ready to take on a SWAT team right about then. His eyes settled at her hips, his mouth pressing into at thin line. Mina looked down to see both sets of claws extended from between his knuckles, the metal slicing through the front panels of her dresser drawers.

He sheathed the claws and brought one hand up to rub at the back of his neck. Mina recognized the look, a school-boy caught doing something naughty. She thought it was endearing.

"I—um, wow," she stuttered, wishing she hadn't spoke at all. But his silence was killing her, she had to know what he was thinking.

Logan slanted her a wry grin, his thumb scratching at the marks. They stood there for a moment or two more before Logan leaned forward and rested his palms on the dresser behind her. "I think," he said slowly, his eyes scanning her face, "that, next time, we should do this a little more slowly, eh?"

"Maybe," Mina replied, silently joyous that he thought there would be a next time.

Logan nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead, "I'll go talk to the Professor about getting' ya a new set of drawers." With that he slid on his shirt, grabbed his jacket, and stepped from the room, closing the door behind him.

Mina leaned against the dresser, fingering the marks at her hips. Her heart was still hammering in her chest and she probably needed another shower just to cool off. But, _gawd_, could that man kiss. She didn't think she could look at him now without thinking about it, without feeling it. If she hadn't lost every bit of restraint she'd ever had with him, she might have actually slept with him. The thought gave her pause. Did she want to sleep with him? Definitely yes. Was it good to sleep with him? She didn't know. After running from Fuller all this time, she was finally feeling like she could settle down a bit, create a relationship.

Besides, there was just something about Logan that made her want to make him break just a little, to let her in to see that animal she'd barely glimpsed moments before. And to let him know that she wasn't afraid of him, that she might be able to accept that part of him, too. She shuddered, knowing that they might have just started something very serious.


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh dear, I can't believe it took me so long to update. Let me first apologize for making you wait so long for this chapter, I promise I'll try to do better in the future. My sister got married this last week so I've been extra busy trying to get stuff done for that. **

**I hope you enjoy this little transitional piece, and I will definitely try to get something more out there soon! *ducks*  
**

Mina tugged the stopwatch over her head and stepped to the starting line of the obstacle course. Her students were crouched low, their young bodies tensed and ready for her to start the race. She'd finally decided on an all-out sprint to the finish line behind her—they would have to make it through the course and circle back and out of the forest to complete the task—and she hoped they were up to the challenged she posed.

"On your mark," she called, a bubbling excitement growing in her belly, "Get set. Go!" And then they were off, bodies pummeling into the woods before her, stepping carefully over the tires laid out in front of the opening. Flinching a little as a few students stumbled; she silently wished them all luck because it would be difficult, but she knew they could do it. She had such faith in them.

After she could no longer see them running between the trees, Mina sat in a nearby chair to wait and rest her tired legs. She guessed it would take about half an hour for each of them to make it through, and she planned to take advantage of the calm moment presented to her. Leaning back in the chair, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the subtle warmth of the sun on her cheeks.

When a shadow fell across her vision, she squinted one eyes open and was startled to see Logan standing over her. "Hey," she said timidly. They still hadn't spoken about their kiss in her room the previous morning and, truth be told, she was a little nervous to bring the subject up after so many near misses. First, she had been called to another Danger Room session with Jean, working on the team's defensive tactics. Then, she'd been carted off to see a rather large blue-haired doctor named Henry McCoy where he kept her in the lab for over an hour, measuring her body and taking blood. After that, dinner had left them surrounded by their fellow teachers and then Ororo wanted to show her around weapons room.

That did not mean, however, that she shared no communication with Logan throughout the day. When she did spend any length of time with him, there were moments where he would catch her eye and her whole body would go hot. Even now she could feel the subtle tingle of power that he naturally exuded coasting down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

She gave him a once over, from the top of his shaggy head to the toes of his worn boots. He was, she noticed, doing the same, his gaze lingering on the skin left bare by her shorts. Blushing, she crossed her legs anxiously. Logan blinked and, clearing his throat, he said, "Just came by to see how the kids were doin' with the course."

Mina glanced behind him to the starting line, straining her ears to hear the loud calls from the forest. "They just started, so I think it'll be a while before we know for sure how it went. You can sit down, if you'd like." She indicated the chair to her right.

"Thanks," he replied, taking the seat and stretching out his legs in front of him. The wrought iron chair groaned under his weight, the legs trembling under the pressure. Mina wondered just what he was made of, that he could weigh so much that the sturdy metal chair would strain to take his form. Then, she thought about what that weight would feel like spread out above her, and she had to discreetly shift to relieve the growing discomfort between her thighs.

Logan looked at her wryly, "How're classes going for ya?"

"Oh, they're alright. I'm not much good at being a teacher, but I think I'm doing okay with the training bit," she replied lightly. "And yourself?"

"Good. I suppose I have you to thank for the increased skill of the students. Haven't had half as many accidents in the gym since you started."

Mina blushed a little, "I'll take that as a thank you, then. And you're very welcome."

The conversation came to a standstill with pleasantries out of the way. All that was left between them was their single searing kiss, a giant, lingering elephant following them around. Mina was considering bringing the subject up when Logan stood from his chair and paced a few steps away. She watched the movement of his body, the unconscious fluidity, well remembering the feel of it pressing her into the unyielding wood of the dresser.

When he turned to her, his expression focused, he placed his hands on his hips and said, "I like ya, Mina. I'd like to know more about ya…Don't interrupt, I'm tryin' to get this out coherently. You seem like you could want to get to know me better, but I gotta tell ya, I'm not soft and cuddly. There's no chewy inside beneath this shell. I'm hard, through and through." Mina raised and eyebrow, but kept silent. She could tell he was putting himself out on a limb, and sexual innuendo probably wasn't going to help.

Logan stepped to where she was seated and leaned down, placing his hands on the arms of her chair. "So, we take this slow," said lowly. "You've seen a glimpse of what's inside me. One little slip, and I could take yer head off just like I did that set of drawers."

Mina chuckled a little, recalling just how much damage he'd done—ruined three sets of panties, and not in the good way. She reached up and grasped his arms at the elbows, her thumbs sliding over the sensitive skin inside. "I think I can handle it," she said simply.

A hard look crossed his face, even as his hands tightened on the chair. "Okay," he murmured, ducking to take a kiss. Rather than deepen it, as she so wanted him to do, he pulled away to step back to his chair. Then, he pulled out a cigar, lighting it. "Winter's comin'."

Mina glanced up at the sky, knowing he was right. Fall was slowly giving way to the icy winds of winter. The days would shorten, and the nights would get longer, dropping the temperature to freezing. She didn't necessarily like the season, but she knew it was necessary in order to appreciate the flowering of springtime. Mina sighed, glancing at Logan. Besides, if things kept going as they were, she might have him to keep her warm.

It wasn't long until footsteps could be heard barreling towards the finish line. Mina stood and shielded her eyes form the mid-morning sun to see Bobby and John sprinting through the trees with Marie falling in behind, calling out to them. The boys were shoving at each other, each vying for the top spot. She sighed in exasperation. They obviously didn't get the point of the exercise.

Several more students pulled through, coming to a stop at the finish breathing hard. When all fifteen had completed the course, Mina stood at the front of the group, hands on her hips, feeling very much disappointed with them.

"I should have probably made the goal of the course more clear before sending you children out willy-nilly," she said mildly. "There isn't time to be competitive, and pushing and shoving at each other will only lead to more injuries." She cast the boys a hard look. "Go get cleaned up and to your next classes. I want you back here tomorrow morning. And next time, you'll be working in teams."

They trudged off to the showers and Mina watched them with a certain sense of frustration. Despite what she had taught them in the last few weeks, they were still teenagers—not ready for the kind of work she had been exposed to so young in life. Professor Xavier was doing a good thing by protecting them from the kinds of people who would want to take advantage of them, people like Fuller. But someone had to prepare them for the way in which others could exploit their power.

Logan moved to stand behind her, his presence searing her back. "Don't be too hard on them, they'll get it eventually."

Mina nodded dumbly, fighting the thoughts of kissing him again despite her ire. He wanted to take it slow, and she wanted to respect his wishes. But, God if he wasn't luring her in every second he stood within ten feet of her. She ran her hands over her sweating neck and looked at him. He returned her look, gazing at her with calculating eyes, breath coming heavily from his lungs.

He stepped up to her, palms tracing from shoulders to wrists, "Spend some time with me tonight. Away from the other teachers."

"Okay," Mina breathed, her eyes focusing on his lips. She wondered if he would taste as he had this morning, or if she would taste the cigar he'd smoked not too long ago when she touched her tongue to his mouth. Sucking in a breath, Mina waited anxiously for him to make his move. He'd taken the ball to his court when he'd suggested they move slowly, and he had to lead her when it came to the speed.

"That's…good," he said lowly, moving just the tiniest bit closer. "How about a movie in the T.V. room down stairs, after curfew?" Curfew for the students on a school night was nine pm. The mansion would become a ghost town after that—perfect for a little privacy.

"Okay," Mina said again, surprised as the huskiness of her own voice. "I'll, um, meet you down there at nine, then." Logan nodded in agreement and stepped away. Mina almost stepped with him, but held herself in check. She watched him go, admiring the way his legs carried him quickly, but smoothly, to the door. There was simply something about his gait that screamed at her, but the volume was turned too low for her to hear. He was a puzzle wrapped neatly into the form of an armored tank. Absently, she wondered if he'd ever truly let her in—or if she'd ever let him in. There was a lot in her past that she didn't like, and a lot she didn't want to relive; but she thought she might be able to do it with him, he seemed that strong to her.

Nine pm rolled around faster than Mina imagined it would, leaving her rushing downstairs with her hair still damp from her shower. She stopped before the door to the TV room and took a few calming breaths. It was just Logan, she told herself, but she couldn't help the rush of adrenaline that coursed through her veins as she stepped into the room. Logan was sitting in one of the large armchairs, his forearms resting on the smooth leather, a cigar balanced coolly in one palm.

"I thought the Professor didn't allow smoking in the mansion," Mina teased lightly.

Logan huffed out an amused breath, "What he don't know, won't kill him."

Smiling, Mina folded her body into the corner of the couch nearest to him, "So, what movie would you like to watch?"

Logan shrugged, "Long as it's not a chick-flick, I really don't mind watching anything."

"Well, considering that the last movie I watched was Bambi, I think you should make the decision." Mina smiled at Logan's incredulous look, knowing that her statement was shocking. It was true, she had only seen one movie—Fuller thought they rotted the mind. Instead of watching television and reading magazines, Mina spent her time studying martial arts and slide of hand in order to perfect her skills.

Clearing his throat, Logan said, "I guess we'll start with the classics, then." He stood, and Mina watched him stride over to the bookshelf and pull a DVD from the hundreds that lined that walls. Popping the disk into the player, Logan angled himself on the couch and threw and over her shoulders, pulling her close. Mina snuggled in, inhaling the woodsy scent that was distinctly his. The previews rolled, but she wasn't watching them, she was focusing on how when he breathed, his arm tightened around her shoulders and the way his skin seemed white-hot wherever they touched. By the time the movie was over, she was gripping the seam of her jeans just so she wouldn't reach out and haul him up and over her. Logan reached for the remote and stopped the movie, "So, how was it?"

Mina searched her mind frantically for something to say. She hadn't paid much attention to the movie—too distracted by him. "It was… certainly entertaining."

Logan looked at her for a beat, his eyes tracing the contours of her face. Mina could feel a blush creeping up over her cheeks and she looked down and away in embarrassment. She felt his hand reach out and cup her cheek, pulling her jaw up so that he could look at her.

When—finally—he kissed her, Mina felt her body go limp, relaxing completely under his mouth. He gave her soft, tentative kisses, moving down the line of her throat with fluid strokes. Feeling the heat building inside her, Mina gripped Logan's shoulders and pushed them back into the couch, swinging one leg over to straddle him.

Logan's kisses turned hard, tongues dueling for dominance, each breathing erratically. Mina pressed forward, pushing her chest against him in a desperate attempt to get closer. She needed more, more of this, more of Logan. She reveled in the feeling of his growls rumbling through his chest, his hands squeezing at her hips, urging her against him in a slowly forming dance. And she complied. She wanted everything from this man, irrationally, irrevocably.

Just when Mina thought she'd implode at the sheer force of Logan's warmth combined with her arousal, she found herself flung into the side of the couch, Logan standing almost immediately on the other side of the room. She scrambled to a seated position and tried to control her breathing. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest and there was telltale slickness between her thighs.

Logan cleared his throat, barely visible in the dim light of the room, "I thought we decided we were taking this slow. I warned you about—,"

"I know, and I'm sorry," Mina said lowly while she tried to regain her composure, "It won't happen again."

Logan sighed and sat down on the far side of the couch, his forearms resting on his knees. "I mean it when I say I'm dangerous, Mina." He inhaled sharply, pulled in the air around his nostrils. Mina recognized the action, he was scenting her. "That part of me, the Wolverine, I don't like to provoke him. And he's…"

Mina leaned forward, pulling a knee beneath her and gazing intently at his arched form. He was filled with little tremors, and she realized just how difficult it was for him to control himself sometimes. "He's what, Logan."

"He's got your scent, darlin'. And he likes it." Mina swallowed hard, watching him warily as he turned and crawled up the length of the couch, looming over her. For a second, she thought he might kiss her again. The feeling was so strong that she tilted her chin upwards in invitation, but he simply remained inches above her, staring down at her with heat in his eyes.

Mina blinked, and the moment was over. Logan rolled off the couch and offered her his hand, helping her to standing. He guided her out of the room with a hand on the small of her back, then marched her dutifully up the stairs and to her room. She had to settle for a chaste peck on the lips before they exchanged their goodbyes. Not daring to push the issue, Mina watched his back as he left, the muscles tensing and releasing with each clench of his fists. She closed the door and sighed, leaning on the door jamb and wondering just how she was going to reconcile his nature with her lack of self-preservation.

They spent the rest of the nights that week in much the same pattern. Mina would try not to molest Logan while sitting next to him in the darkness of the television room as they watched one movie or another, then he'd walk her to the room and disappear. She'd once tried to follow him, shrinking into the shadows, but he always seemed to elude her just when she thought she had a hold on him.

By Friday's Danger Room session, Mina was wound up tight, and she was glad to have the release the exercise would provide for her. She ran hard through the damaged cityscape, chasing Scott and using her mutation to move faster than his leather-clad legs could carry him. She'd almost tagged him out when an errant bolt of lighting struck a little too close, sending her spiraling into a nearby brick wall. Pain seared through her skull, and darkness circled her eyes. She slumped on the ground and tried to regain her bearings, failing miserably. The room was spinning around her, making her nauseous—she heaved against the cement, bracing her body on her palms.

Vaguely, she felt large hands wrapping around her body, hoisting her against a rock hard chest. Mina inhaled briefly—Logan. He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her through the door and into the medical lab. There, Jean was waiting patiently to examine her. Mina rolled her eyes, but suffered through and hour of "Look at the light" and "Do you know what year it is?" before Logan scooped her up and strode to the elevator.

Once inside, Mina huffed in exasperation, "I can walk, you know."

Logan flicked his eyes downward briefly, his hands holding her tighter, "Let me take care of this, will ya?"

She rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless, warmed by the thought that he was displaying some of that protective side she'd seen with Marie. He walked carefully through the halls, cradling her to his chest like a child. Gazing over his shoulder, Mina relaxed. Her eyes trailed over the abundance of wood paneling and archways, Logan's steps ringing rhythmically in her ears.

Angry voices floated from the floor below as they passed the grand staircase. Mina craned her heck to see who was creating the ruckus, and felt the blood drain from her face. There, standing in front of the Professor, was Will Maycock, Fuller's right hand man. He was holding up a picture, asking question after question at the Professor. Jean stood not far behind, arms crossed over her chest defensively. Her cool eyes flicked up to Mina's, the accusation written clearly in their depths.

"Logan, put me down," she said softly. When he tried to protest, she shushed him and pointed downward. He looked hard at the men, growling softly as he lowered her legs. Mina steadied herself, then took a deep breath. She couldn't afford to panic. Each and every innocent life was at stake while Fuller's men were in the building.

Descending the stairs, she caught Will's eyes, and shuddered at the crooked smile that spread across his handsome face. All Fuller's associates were handsome, it was an unspoken rule—Fuller, himself, had at one time dazzled her with his looks. Luckily, she had learned quickly not to trust anyone in Fuller's inner circle, especially Will. He was a snake of the worst kind, twisting himself around her until she thought she might choke. No, she certainly didn't want him near anyone she cared about.

"Mina Calloway," he drawled, shoving the picture into the breast pocket of his Armani coat. "You are one hard woman to track down."

Mina felt a sneer work it's way over her lips, "Save it, Will. What does he want?"

"Oh, a little of this, a lot of that." Will cocked his hip slightly, pushing a hand into the pocket of his perfectly pressed pants. "He wants you home, Mina. We've lost a lot of money, and you've a lot to make up for."

She could feel Logan at her back, his heat boiling against Will's cool remarks. "Tell him to shove it."

Will laughed hard, "You always were a little feisty—and he's already thought ahead. Do you remember Paris, Mina?"

Fear coiled low in her stomach. Of course she remembered Paris, how could she forget? From time to time she still dreamt about the blood, the screaming. At sixteen she'd had to wade through body parts of people she had been friends with, people who had protected her, hid her from Fuller. Mina glanced at the trusting faces of the students passing by, it was a hard lesson she obviously had not yet learned. She looked at the Professor, who was waiting patiently for her to make her move…She could feel a round of telepathy coming from Jean, and Logan… Looking over her shoulder, she saw a man who wanted her not for her mutation, but for herself. It was for Logan that she made her decision.

"Fine," she said. "I'll go with you. I'll make back what you've lost, but after that, I'm done. I don't want to hear a single thing about Fuller, Fuller's associates, or you for the rest of my life. I want a signed contract in writing within an hour. And Will, you better sleep with a gun under your pillow." She blew through her speech with false bravado, but it seemed to do the job.

Will nodded to a bodyguard behind him, lifting a hand to guide her out the door. Mina stepped back, "I have to pack." Then, she turned to climb the stairs. She felt completely drained, utterly spent with what was to come. Logan was with her, though, climbing those stairs with her, acting as a respite from her troubles. Oh, God help her. She didn't want to see him dead.

**Just FYI Mina doesn't know the extent of Logan's mutation quite yet. I'll get to that soon.**

**PS You get to meet Fuller in the next chapter.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well, I've written this chapter three times, trying to get it right. I wanted to introduce to you Fuller, but he kept wanting to remain an enigma--silly man. However, I did get him to work with me a bit, so here it is, chapter ten. I hope y'all like it.**

Logan was watching her with a frown deepening the barely perceptible lines on his handsome face, the strain pulling his lips downward. Mina tried not to notice as she packed her bags, filling each with a month's worth of what she deemed work clothes—soft cotton shirts, linen pants, her favorite pair of running shoes—all black. It was just easier to buy everything in black. The color hid everything from blood to dirt, a valuable quality.

"I don't see why ya just have to pick up and leave. What power does this guy have over ya?" Logan approached plaintively, pulling Mina's hands from their work.

Flicking her bangs from her face in agitation, Mina said, "It's a long story and I don't have the time to tell you everything. But, believe me when I say it's not worth it for me to fight right now, not here. I'll go along with the plan, then figure out an escape later." She zipped her duffel sharply. "I just have to make him back some money, and be done with it."

Logan scoffed, "What makes you thing he'll just let you go, Mina. I know his kind. He'll keep using you until there's nothin' left." He gripped her forearms, his eyes hard, "I won't let that happen."

There was a distinctive clench in Mina's chest that sucked the air from her lungs, leaving her momentarily speechless. Logan took the opportunity to place a soft, entreating kiss on her lips, deepening it only when her body fell slack against him. Mina savored the taste of him, knowing that just this little kiss would be all she could have of him until Fuller was completely out of the picture. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on until Logan pulled away roughly, a soft snarl seeping past his lips.

Chest heaving, Mina picked up her duffel and retreated to the hallway, knowing full well that if she stayed she'd let him fight for her—she so desperately wished he could. She knew Logan was strong, but she had seen the horrors Fuller would go to in order to pull her back under his wing. It was not something she wanted for Logan. He was following her closely down the hall, so close, in fact, that his body brushed hers with every step, reminding her of his presence.

She descended the staircase warily, her eye flicking from person to person and her mind assessing the danger. Instinctively, she checked for available shadows, but with all the lights on in the main foyer, she found few.

"Alright, let's go," she said lightly, stopping short when Logan's warm hand gripped her elbow. For a beat, she feared her was going to show Fuller's men just who they were dealing with, just who the Wolverine was, but he merely leaned close, his breath moving hotly against the skin of her neck.

"You packed for a month, darlin'. When those clothes run out, I'm comin' for ya, no matter if you've finished the job or not." Mina could clearly hear the veiled tension in his voice, felt a shiver run up and down her spine as he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. She knew he was savoring it just as she'd savored their kiss, knowing it would be some time before they would see each other again.

Gathering her courage, Mina stepped away from the only protection she'd ever known, and exited the school with a nod to the Professor. _We will come for you, Mina. You're a part of our family now, and we always protect our family._

The Professor's words were enough to crack her defenses, and a lone tear streaked down her cheek. Wiping angrily at it, Mina squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. She needed to have her game face on if she was going to face Fuller, needed to be completely impenetrable—for everyone's sake.

In the back of the SUV, Mina found herself watching the building fade away, until not even the gates were visible on the horizon. She turned to face forward and crossed her arms defensively, wishing the sun away so she could find a shadow to crawl into and allow herself to grieve. No matter what she told Logan, it was unlikely that she'd ever return to the school. There were too many lives at stake and good criminals never used the same hideout twice.

Fuller would be more cautious with her than ever—she'd be back to that fucking lock box he'd used when she'd come back from Paris. Ten feet by ten feet, the room was little more than a jail cell. She sniffed, huddling into the seat and hiding her face.

Will turned and glanced at her from the passenger's side, fixing her with a leering gaze, "You look good, kid," he said lightly.

Mina narrowed her eyes at him, wishing she had some sort of telekinetic mutation so that she could hurl something at him. Instead, she merely said, "Fuck off," and pulled her long-forgotten CD player from her duffel. She blasted The Best of the Nineties, not really caring what song played, just so she wouldn't have to talk.

They traveled for three hours on the interstate, finally taking the off-ramp into a podunk town with a single traffic light. Mina squinted in the fading sun, knowing instinctively that something was wrong. Fuller didn't do small towns, he was all about the grandiose, the gauche houses, expensive cars. Even his toilets were made of rare marble.

Mina pulled the buds from her ears and shoved the CD player back into her bag. They were pulling up to a large, but run-down, house with a driveway that circled to the front door. Without waiting to be told, she was out of the car, duffel in hand, and strolling up the front steps. The security didn't stop her, knew who she was. She gave them a nod, knowing that they had said nothing after helping her with her latest escape—they wouldn't be alive otherwise.

The foyer was a flurry of activity, men in suits all working around a central table, the head of which was Fuller. Fuller hadn't changed much in the months she'd been away. Thick, dark hair, mocha tinted skin, a dazzling smile—Mina thought she'd be sick just looking at him. He was the kind of man who commanded a room, even when he said nothing. She'd grown up around women who fawned over him, men who envied him, hated him, crowds that hung on his every word. Mina wondered if, in fact, he was a mutant, and charisma was his mutation.

She shuffled past the group and hurried up the stairs, hoping not to be noticed.

"Mina, my dear girl. Surely you weren't trying to get by without a simple hello?"

She cringed, knowing it was no use now. The attention of the entire room had fallen on her, and if she made Fuller look bad, she'd pay for it later. Turning, she faced him, "Hello Fuller, its nice to see you."

Fuller smile a 200-watt smile, "You look well. Did you enjoy your vacation in Maui?"

Mina's brows scrunched at the apex of her nose. Was that what he told her team, that she'd been on vacation? "Very much."

He leaned a hip against the table, studying her from head to toe, his sharp eyes missing nothing. "Good, I hope you are rested. You're needed in an hour. Will, hand her a copy of the specs for our latest venture."

Will sauntered up the stairs, handing her a manila folder. He discretely blew her a kiss, then moved to return to his post. Mina was tempted to shove him down the stairs, knowing that the sound of his bones crunching with each impact would have been massively satisfying, but she held back. It would be best to wait for a more opportune moment with fewer witnesses.

Forcing a breath between her teeth, Mina stomped up the rest of the stairs and went in search of a room. She needed something with an open window, lots of space, but most of the rooms already had clothes strewn about or were filled with equipment. She wondered why Fuller had chosen such a decrepit old house as his base of operations, and in such a small town. People were nosy in small towns—there wasn't anything else to do but gossip, this she knew from experience. A fresh wave of pain seared through her heart as she remembered her mother, dressed to the nines for tea, sharing stories with the other women of the town while Mina played with her favorite teddy.

Finally, the stress of the day crept upon her, and she had to lean against a nearby wall in order to not crumple to the floor. Nothing had changed, absolutely nothing. Fuller still had full control over her, even with the protection of the X-men. She was completely alone again—what made it worse was the fact that she'd probably never be able to make it out another time. Her last attempt had been a miracle, a well-placed policeman (who was, surprisingly, not on Fuller's payroll).

Unable to cry, Mina stared at the opposite wall until the pressure behind her eyes dissipated into a dull throb and the pain of long-buried memories faded into the background. A piece of paper on a door a few feet away caught her attention. She focused on it, seeing her name written clearly in scratchy letters. Carefully, she approached the door, peeled the taped note from the wood and read.

_Mina, think of this as a welcome back present. Philip_

She smiled at the gesture, and pushed open the door. Philip was the team's technician. He was the voice in her ear, leading her through the job and directing her to safety when things got rough—he was also her best friend, for all intents and purposes. He was there to hear her bitch about Fuller's latest idiotic adventure, Will's constant leering, and just about anything else that came along.

The room was sparsely decorated, but the linen was clean, and there was a small black briefcase sitting on the window seat. Mina shrugged off her duffel and moved across the room, brushing her hands over the wooden posts of the bed. She sighed, noting the distinct feeling of a barren wasteland encroaching on her mind. There was barely any light left from the evening sun, but Mina noticed an oil lamp on the bedside table. Digging through her bag, she found a Zippo and flicked it open. The lamp lit easily, filling the room with a warm glow that belied the house's purpose.

When she'd done everything she could to avoid it, Mina sat next to the briefcase and opened it. Inside were all of the tools she needed to perform any task Fuller asked of her—a radio with earbud, the cardiac stickers they used to monitor the health of all the team members, lock pick, and a pistol. Flicking her hair from her eyes, Mina slipped the clip into the gun and cocked it, flipping on the safety.

There was nothing left to do but change into her work clothes and see what was required of her that night. Mina flung her bag onto the bed and pulled out a shirt, pants, and shoes, pulling each on reluctantly. After pulling her hair back into a tight ponytail, Mina slipped the gun into the waistband of her pants, grabbed the manila folder, and headed downstairs.

Most of the superfluous men had left, leaving Philip, Will, Fuller, and two people she didn't know at the central table. She took her place in the empty chair and glanced at the papers spread out before her. It was a typical assignment—infiltrate, get the goods, and leave. Mina sighed inwardly, when she'd first started, this would have been exciting for her. Now, it was as tedious as any amount of grading she would have had to do at the school. She thought of the X-men, the training, how exciting she had been as she worked with the team.

The people in front of her looked disastrously idiotic—one wearing a long leather coat and ripped shirt, the other a skirt that was far too short to do any real damage in. Amateurs, at best. Philip, however, looked exactly the same, Oxford shirt and khakis, wonderfully ordinary. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and winked, she nodded her head in gratitude. That was all the communication they ever needed, and Fuller's fierce possessiveness proved that it would be all they could get.

"Mina, I'm sure you remember how to do this, you're an old pro," Fuller said as he took off his jacket. She caught the label on the inside, Armani. Some things never changed.

She nodded, "Yeah, I know what to do."

"Good," Fuller replied, "I'll expect you back before midnight, then."

Mentally, Mina scoffed. He was giving her a curfew, making her feel like a child all over again, huddling against him at the funeral. Her scoff turned into a sneer, she'd just have to take a little bit more for herself off the top. There was no way she was going to stay here any longer than necessary. She had to get out before he sucked her in again, before there was no chance of escape.

Fuller stood, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Megan, Rocks, this is Mina. She will be your team leader. While you are on assignment she speaks for me, and I expect you to obey her as if she were me. Understood?" Mina raised an eyebrow; he'd never given this speech to the others who had come before them. Briefly, she wondered where her old team had gone, but dismissed the thought, knowing Fuller recycled employees every year, keeping the teams young and fit was essential.

There was a beat of silence that Fuller took to be consent, and then he turned to Mina, "I'd like to speak to you afterwards, if you don't mind."

Mina stiffened. The polite request was exactly how Fuller worked—he'd be your best friend up until the moment he killed you. She nodded dumbly, watching his back as he swept up his coat and left the foyer. Will took the opportunity to brief them on some of the dangers, alarm systems and security, which Mina only half listened to. She was already far away, sitting on the lawn chairs of Xavier's School, the smell of Logan's cigar smoke wafting around her. Now that she was back in her old life, she wished she'd stayed with him, let him make everything better. She was so tired of fighting every step of the way, so worn out from running.

Shaking away her thoughts, Mina rose from the table and made her way outside to the van, not caring that Will was still speaking. As far as she was concerned, Fuller gave him too much unearned power, trusted him far too much for her liking. He was a sniveling little cockroach, a parasite on the empire that Fuller had built on her shoulders. She hated him.

Philip followed her out, opening the back of the van for her. "You know," he said, "He's gonna run to Fuller for that."

Mina glanced at him balefully, "You know me well enough to know that I couldn't care less what Will tells Fuller."

Philip held his hands up in surrender, "I know, just saying." Mina lifted her shirt and waited for Philip to set up the heart monitors. There was a peaceful camaraderie that always arrived during the pre-task setup. Philip would apply the cardiac strips, never once eyeing her breasts or copping a feel, and Mina would load all the weapons for the assignment. As the others filed into the van, Mina shrugged down her shirt, slipped in the earbud, and hopped into the passenger's side.

The one Fuller called Megan slid into the driver's seat, starting the van. "So, you're the infamous Mina Calloway," she said, her voice dripping with intrigue.

"That'd be me," Mina replied.

The woman shot her hand across the console, "Megan Yates, its nice to finally meet you. Fuller has told me so much about you."

_I'm sure he has, _came Philip's voice. _Every night, and sometimes right after lunch_. Mina stifled a giggle and took Megan's hand. It wasn't unusual for Fuller to take on the female employees, and Megan was his type. Skinny, beautiful, and bitchy. He liked them with a little sass.

"So, how was Maui?" Mina thought she detected a hint of sarcasm, but decided to let it slide.

"Wonderful," she replied honestly, strapping a knife to the inside of her leg.

"I bet."

Philip did a sound check on the mics, checking the monitors for their hearts and engaging the GPS devices on their wristbands. Mina waited impatiently for them to arrive at their destination, suffering through probing questions from Megan and wondering if Rocks actually had a voice box. He didn't say a word throughout the whole trip, just sat there and sharpened a wicked looking knife. Truth be told, Mina was growing more nervous by the second. She didn't know her teammates, didn't know the layout or location, and didn't really know what she was getting into. It was shady, and she didn't like it.

When they finally pulled into an abandoned parking lot, Mina stepped from the car and scanned the location. She almost slipped into shadow, but realized that Rocks was standing next to her and decided against it. Some people were a little hesitant when they first encountered her mutation. Rocks jerked his head to the side and she followed him around a building. Philip was softly calling out rapid-fire directions that sent her adrenaline flowing. She picked up speed and soon she was leading Rocks through the darkened halls of an office building, through cubicles and around to the main offices. Philip led them to a large arched hallway, and Mina stopped cold.

Laser sensors covered the vast expanse of the hall, moving round and round in dizzying circles. _This is where you come in, Mina_, Philip said over the mic. Mina gave a curt nod to no one in particular and allowed her body to slip into shadows. She bounced around the moonbeams filtering through the windows and to the other side, balancing delicately on the edge of a step as a rogue laser shifted past.

When all was clear, she pressed into a keypad a series of numbers that Philip provided and watched as the lasers circled to nothingness, allowing Rocks through the hall. He shuffled past her and towards their target, a very large safe. From there, he got right to work, setting up a liquid that burned through the lock. After a few tense moments, Rocks pulled open the door and gestured for her to move inside.

The vault was a wall-to-wall stack of money, with large cases interspersed between. Mina discretely slipped one stack between the fabric of her shirt and pants, saving for when she needed it most. Rocks lifted one of the cases and pried it open. Mina gasped in awe. Inside was a large diamond encrusted necklace, probably worth half a million dollars. "Hello, gorgeous," she breathed.

_Are you speaking to me or the diamonds, dear?_ Philip called with a laugh.

"Shut up," Mina chuckled, eyeing the perfectly cut center gem. Rocks picked up the piece and set in a velvet bag, knotting the strings and shoving it into his pants. Mina raised a brow but said nothing. They exited the vault, closing the unhinged door and stepping through the hall. Philip called out a new route that avoided the strolling security guard, but Mina kept to the shadows nonetheless. Call her paranoid, but something felt too easy about it, too simple.

Suddenly, the alarms went off and gates started lowering in the windows, the doors. Mina cursed and raced through the nearest window, slipping under the gate. Rocks tumbled through another, breaking the glass, and then they were both sprinting to the van. Megan had pulled around was idling, screaming at them to hurry, hurry.

Her lungs burning, Mina flung her body into the van and braced herself. It jerked forward as Rocks fell inside, pulling into the street. Megan pressed hard on the accelerator, the heart monitors beeping faster and faster as they made their getaway. They drove hard for several minutes, until it because clear that there would be no police following them. Mina sighed hard, pulling at the cardiac stickers and wincing in pain.

As the miles stretched behind them, the tenuous atmosphere of the van faded into relieved amusement. Megan let out a hoot of laughter, pumping her fist in the air, Philip chuckled along with her, folding up his computer and shutting down the GPS equipment. Even Rocks seemed to join in on the feeling in his own quiet way. Only Mina remained aloof. She sat in her seat as he heart slowed to a more manageable pace. This wasn't the way they did things—smash and grab type assignments weren't her idea of a job well done.

She brooded over Fuller's change in style, wondering about the movement away from the detailed, elegant stunts that she'd performed so many times before. Was this some kind of punishment for running away? Had she been demoted to grunt work for her indiscretions? Mina rubbed at her temples, feeling a headache rolling in. She didn't want this life, not anymore. No matter how much Fuller offered her, she knew that, when Logan cam to get her (something she was absolutely sure would happen) she would not fight him. In fact, she hoped he jumped the gun and came sooner. She didn't think she could take an entire month of this tedious work.

Megan rounded the tight bend of the driveway, pulling to a stop in front of the steps. Mina shot out of the van and into the old house, barely taking note of Megan's triumphant yowling behind her. She breezed past Will and was about to climb the staircase when she spotted Fuller above her, dressed once again to the nines in a black Armani suit. He was standing at the top landing, arms folded across his lean chest, glaring.

Steeling her nerves, Mina made her way up the final few steps, pausing in front of Fuller, and then turned to walk to her room. With sharp steps, she moved down the hallway, pushing through the door to her room. She flung the door behind her, catching Fuller off-guard. He stopped the heavy wood just before it slammed into his body and Mina felt a twinge of disappointment that she'd missed.

"What do you want?" she barked, pulling the gun from its resting place in the waistband of her pants and setting it on the table. She left the stack on money in place, hoping he didn't notice the suspicious bulge now that the gun was no longer there.

Fuller closed the door gently, sealing them inside with all the anger, betrayal, and menace that brewed between them. He slipped off his jacket and laid it over the bed. "I don't think I need to tell you how hurt I was when you left me," he said slowly, pronouncing each word carefully as he rolled up his shirtsleeves. "In fact, I was so distraught that I halted all my projects in order to fine you. And do you know what I found, Mina?"

Her heart was pounding against her ribs, sending warning after warning that triggered her suppressed fight or flight reflex. Fuller was being too calm, eerily calm. She sidestepped around the bed and moved to the side table knowing that, if things got ugly, she could blow out the lamp she'd left burning and escape to the shadows.

Fuller reached into a pocket and pulled out a packet of photos. He laid them out on the bed in order, flicking each in disgust. Curious, Mina leaned over and gasped—there, in the photos was image after image of her and Logan at the bar. Talking, laughing, kissing. She tensed every muscle in her body, preparing to flee. Fuller merely smiled, tight-lipped.

"You don't know how hurt I was when I found out you were fraternizing with this…brute, my dear." He sighed, "But I suppose its only normal to try new things." Mina narrowed her eyes as his voice dropped low, pulsing with what she recognized as anger.

"Let me be clear," Fuller sneered, "You will not run from me again, or I will put a bullet in this Neanderthal's head."

Mina choked back the bile that was rising in her throat. There was a tense moment where Logan's death at Fuller's hands played out in her mind. She blinked back the tears, knowing Fuller would only see them as a sign of weakness—a sign of her weakness for Logan.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Her inhale was ragged, "Yes, Fuller. Very clear."

"Good," Fuller said, pleased. The dark expression that had come over his face cleared and his eyes sparkled once again. "I'm glad I have your understanding. And to make sure you don't forget…"

His hand shot out and enclosed her throat, cutting off the airway and knocking her backwards onto the bed. Mina struggled, but his grip was sure, strong. He held her to the bed, struggling, choking, kicking, until the fight had wrung out of her. Mina saw the darkness creep over her line of vision, Fuller's hands squeezing her into unconsciousness. Just before she completely passed out, she felt Fuller's hands release, and her lungs fill with air.

Dizzy, she laid flat on the bed as Fuller gather up the photos and his jacket. He flicked his dark hair out of his eyes and looked her over. With the loss of oxygen to her brain and the ambience of the lamplight, he could have been a lover, enjoying the view of her prone body. "I hope you'll remember our lesson today, Mina. I'd hate to have to teach it to you again. Next time, there will be blood."  
He turned and opened the door, stopping a moment to flick one of the photos at her, "A memento." And then he was gone, the door closing soundlessly behind him.

When Mina was able to catch her breath, when her vision became clear, she crawled to the edge of the bed and clutched at the picture. It displayed her coming out of the shadows, half-corporeal, behind Logan, his hands on his hips. From that angle, it looked as if she was going to attack him, rather than calm his worries. Her hair was falling over her eyes, bangs concealing her expression. For all the photographer knew, she could have been moving in for the kill. Tears finally slipped down her cheeks, wetting her bedspread and the photo in her hands. A month couldn't come soon enough.


	11. Chapter 11

**I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, its more of a transition than anything else. I hope you like it!**

Mina rolled out of the surprisingly soft bed and groaned lowly. Muscles she'd forgotten she had were aching all over her body from over use and she was in desperate need of a break. The pounding that she thought was in her head continued, rattling the door. "Hold your horses!" She called, pulling a sweatshirt over her body. It fell well past her thighs, keeping her decent with minimal effort.

Padding over to the door, she cracked it open to see Will leaning heavily on the doorjamb. His eyes peered through the small space, mentally registering what she was wearing—or not wearing underneath.

Sneering in disgust, Mina gave him a pointed glare. "What is it now?" Will had made it a habit to come by every evening (she slept during the day) to gloat about how she wasn't Fuller's favorite anymore and it was fast becoming annoying. Her usual response was to roll her eyes and shut the door in his face, so her terse question caught him a little off-guard.

Will blinked but recovered quickly, "Fuller wants you downstairs."

Mina nodded. This was how it had been since she got back, Fuller would completely ignore her, sending a messenger whenever he needed her for something. He was curt, but cordial when they spoke, but, beyond that, he showed none of the previous favoritism. It surprised even her how much she missed his warm praises even when coupled with his brutal punishments.

Without bothering to reply, Mina shut the door and went through the motions of her morning (or, waking) routine. The sun had set sometime ago, leaving her to dress by moonlight. She pulled her hair into a ponytail, pinned back her bangs, and stepped from the room. Will was still waiting for her in the hall—another condition of her return—she was never left alone. While she slept, a guard stood at her door; while she worked, she suspected Rocks was waiting to hunt her down if she ran. Everywhere she went there were the eyes of Fuller's associates following her body. Fuller, himself was the only soul in the building that paid her little to no attention. She hated it. She hated him.

Waiting for her were the usual team—Philip, Rocks, Megan, and Fuller. Megan was perched neatly on Fuller's lap, preening like some damned bird. She also seemed to be inordinately pleased that Mina had fallen out with Fuller. Her constant questioning of Mina's previous relationship with the man left her no doubt that the young, nubile woman found her a threat. Until this very moment, she hadn't considered using that possibility against Megan. The woman was a bitch, to be sure, but she hadn't done anything except talk—which left Mina without cause to really fire back.

Philip sent her a sympathetic look as she took her seat at the table. Two weeks in, and they hadn't been allowed more than a passing moment to talk. She burned to tell him about Logan, about the school, but she didn't dare speak a word of it, lest it get back to Fuller somehow. The bruises around her neck had faded, but the fear still lived on. She would not risk Logan's safety for her own selfish gain.

Fuller eased Megan off his lap, ushering her gallantly into a seat. "Now that we're all here, I have an announcement." He spread his arms, a smile displaying his perfect, white teeth. "With my newest acquisition," he gave a pointed look at Mina. "I have been granted my old job, with a healthy bonus. So, I'm going to throw a little party."

Mina cringed. Fuller's idea of a party was a drunken revel that usually ended in his bedroom. These _parties_ almost always left the house in shambles—and, given that the house around them was already falling apart, a party thrown by Fuller would probably grind it down the foundation.

Fuller went on, describing how the team should schmooze with the guests, his words clearly meant for her. Previous engagements of this kind had driven her to hide and observe from the shadows; apart, but not entirely separate from the raucous crowd. Fuller had gotten back his prized possession, and he wanted her on full display for the big guns. She'd be a walking, talking circus attraction. The thought hurt her heart more than she cared to admit.

"I want you, Megan, to help get her ready. She's not exactly knowledgeable about how to dress."

Megan eyed Mina's sweats disdainfully, "I can see that."

Fuller smiled, caressing her cheek, "I know you won't let me down."

Mina blinked, the memory of how he used to say that exact sentence to her before missions, cheek-touch and all, played over and over in her mind. So she _had_ been replaced. She felt a twinge of pressure behind her eyes, signaling an irrational bout of tears. Gripping the arms of the chair, Mina forced them back ruthlessly. She didn't want to cry anymore, but there was a distinct feeling of being lost, unwanted, pulsing through her body.

He may have been a right bastard to her for the last decade or so, but Fuller was the only father figure she'd ever known. And for him to utterly dismiss her in such a manner stung, much to her chagrin. Mina shifted in her chair and waited for the 'meeting' to end. Fuller spoke animatedly about how they really needed to impress their guests, about how everyone would get fat bonuses if they did. The working cycle had come to an end and she would be given three days off to rest before another two weeks of stealing from the rich and giving to the powerful. It would be this get-together that determined whether or not Fuller and his team continued to work, to be paid.

The room hung on his every word as he detailed the theme—vintage decadence. He wanted formal clothing, old-fashioned, classic dress. There would be food catered from the most expensive restaurants in the area, and he'd already hired a decorator to fix up the place. Fuller delegated the rest of the assignments briefly, and then sent his employees on their merry way.

"Except you, Mina," he drawled. "You will come upstairs with Megan and I."

Following dumbly, Mina watched the click-clack of Megan's heels as they moved, as a group, to what she assumed was Megan's bedroom. The ornately decorated space stood in stark contrast to Mina's Spartan décor. Clothes were draped over every surface and stacked in heel-topped mountains. The whole room swam in silk and chiffon.

Megan flitted about the room, gathering outfits and Mina stood near the door, wondering at how Megan ever knew where any particular item happened to be in the chaos of the bedroom. She was ushered into an adjacent bathroom, and Megan threw an armful of clothing after her. "Try these on," she called as she shut the door.

Mina sighed, but pulled a scrap of clothing from the pile. She shucked off her work clothes and pulled the fabric over her head. It fell heavily to the floor, covering her toes. Examining herself in the mirror, Mina immediately nixed the dress with a crinkle of her nose. The bubblegum pink fabric clung in all the wrong places, making her look ten pounds heavier and half a foot wider. She shrugged it off and pulled on another, a black sheath dress that covered everything and somewhat flattered her form, even if the bust was so tight she couldn't breathe.

Pulling open the door, Mina stepped out to allow Megan to look her over. Fuller had taken up residence in an armchair on the far wall, the pile of clothes having been thrown to the floor. Megan circled around Mina slowly. "It works," she said nonchalantly.

"No, it doesn't," Fuller intoned. "We're having a party, not a funeral."

He made a dismissive motion with his hand. "Try another."

Mina returned to the bathroom at least twenty times over. Too frumpy, too slutty, too modest, too loud—outfit after outfit was rejected, leaving Mina flustered and Megan digging through pile after pile for new dresses.

Finally, Mina slid into a chocolate brown, empire-waisted, silk dress. The fabric brushed just above the knee and it swished around her legs as she walked. Fuller rose from the chair, circling her several times and running a hand over the seams. "Beautiful," he murmured. "This is what she will wear."

Mina thought she saw a brief flash of jealously in Megan's eyes, but the woman hid it well. She merely offered up a pair of shoes too high for Mina to walk properly and went about finding jewelry.

Fuller continued his perusal of Mina in the dress, turning her this way and that way, finishing with a turn. Then, he took bother her hands and said, "You look stunning. Truly, you are the jewel of my crown. Now, I want no pouting, Mina… I mean it. You will mingle with our guests and for appearances' sake, you will have fun."

Mina nodded, bewildered at his soft, affectionate tone. It was a complete one-eighty from his previous cool detachment.

Fuller pulled her into a tight hug, "You know I can never stay mad at you, munchkin." The nickname was old, almost as old as she was, and he hadn't used it since her sixteenth birthday. The gesture brought a wave of emotion over her, but she filed it away for later. There was no need to let him know how he affected her just yet.

With a pat to the back, Fuller left her alone with his lover. Megan regarded her with a hand on her hip, "I guess you look half-decent, given that fact that your hips really fill out that dress. And you'll need to do something with that hair…"

Mina hid her smile behind a sigh. There was something very satisfying about putting a bitch in her place, even if she hadn't done it intentionally. She turned and made her way to the bathroom to put her clothes back on, handing Megan the dress when she was through. The other woman said nothing, but showed her to the door, her face pinched with tension.

With so much free time on her hands, Mina was able to finally explore the near-barren gardens of the estate—under the watchful glare of Will Maycock, of course. She paid him no mind, however. Rather, Mina focused on the brush-laden pathways that wound around the yard in concentric circles. Had the vegetation been properly taken care of, it would have grown to make a very impressive labyrinth. As it was, they merely reached across the pathways, creating low arches and tangles for walkers to maneuver around.

Out here, there was no Fuller to confuse her emotions, no duties to fulfill, and no one to disappoint. Pulling an errant bloom from a nearby bush, Mina felt herself relax. She tugged off the thorns and stuck the stem in the wild curls atop her head. It was how she'd worn her hair as a young child; her mother would pull it into a messy bun and stick flower after flower in it to frame her face. Mina flinched at the memory, yanking the bud from her head. She didn't want to dwell on the past, didn't even want to remember the night Fuller had come to take her.

She walked and walked, circling over and over in the night, until her feet ached and her throat grew parched, until the sun began to peek from over the horizon. She guessed it was about time to go inside and get some rest.

Mina edged around milling people to the kitchen. For the last two weeks her meals had been brought to her in her room, and because the rest of the house was so run-down, she thought the kitchen might be full of old-fashioned utensils. It came as a surprise, however, that the kitchen was well stocked with the latest in appliances and cookware, the silver sparkling against the rough wooden walls in which it was enclosed.

The room was empty—it seemed to be the one place where no one really ventured, except to throw their dirty dishes into the large steel sink. After pilfering a chipped glass from one of the cupboards, Mina filled it with water and rested near the oven, listening to the approaching footsteps with mild ire. He'd obviously followed her.

Will stepped through the door, "Thirsty?"

Mina glanced from him to the cup in her hands, "Obviously," she sneered.

"There's no need to be brusque," he replied. "I'm only inquiring as to how you feel." He leaned on the doorjamb. "So, are you excited about our little soiree?"

Mina sighed, preparing herself for a conversation with someone who's IQ was that of a five year old. In her experience, it was best to cut the conversation short, leaving little room for the other person to reply. "For your information, I'm not looking forward to the party. In fact, I dread it almost as much as I loathe you. Now, if you'll excuse me."

She moved to leave, but Will caught her arm in a fierce grip. "You would do well to remember that Fuller isn't protecting you anymore. And I'd hate to see anything…happen."

It was a barely veiled threat, but Mina knew exactly what Will was capable of. Fuller may have been cruel, but Will took sadistic pleasure in torturing his victims until they literally begged for death. She'd seen it in Paris, after Fuller had come to collect her.

Yanking her arm away, Mina strode from the room, immediately throwing herself into the shadows. She flew through the halls to the staircase, intending to escape to the safety of her room. But a pale-white head of hair stopped her cold. There, sitting casually in between Fuller and Philip was Ororo Munroe. Mina caught a breath between her teeth issuing a light hiss. Fuller glanced up and smiled, it was then that she realized that she'd shifted out of the shadows in her surprise.  
"Mina!" Fuller called. Come and meet one of out financial investors.

Slowly, cautiously, Mina stepped down off the stair and approached the table. Ororo stood and moved to shake her hand.

"So this is the one you spoke about?" She smiled widely, "I've heard so much about you."

Mina shook Ororo's hand, "Its nice to meet you…Miss?"

"Oh, you may call me Ms. Munroe." Mina thought she caught the slightest wink in Ororo's expression, but schooled her face to elicit no reaction.

Instead, she merely nodded, "Okay. I'm Mina."

"I know."

Fuller rose, collecting a stack of papers; "Ms. Munroe has graciously agreed to come to out get-together tomorrow night."

Ororo laughed, the sound forming a husky timbre. "How could I possibly pass up the opportunity to see you dressed in such finery?" She said with a light caress of Fuller's arm. _Was she flirting?_

Fuller smiled charmingly, "I guess I could say the same for you."

Mina barely concealed a confused grimace, feeling as if she'd been dropped into some strange acid trip in which her two worlds collided head-on. Fuller, she could accept—he flirted naturally, instinctively, to get what he wanted. But Ororo was a completely different story. The woman looked practically foreign in a business-like pencil skirt and blouse with crisp black-rimmed glasses perched delicately on her nose. There was no trace of the Earth Mother she'd come to associate with her friend, none of the X-man she knew and trusted—the woman had done this before.

Ororo looked at her watch, "Well, I really must run. It was nice to meet you all, and I will see you tomorrow night. Fuller, I'll have that statement for you next week." She sent Mina a meaningful look then swept from the room, taking a small piece of Mina's desperate hope with her. She had thought, for a moment, to see Logan come barreling through the door, claws extended and raging. His patience had finally come to and end as he pulled her from the house.

Instead, there was only empty air as Ororo closed the door behind her, the hollow sound echoing off the dilapidated walls. Mina blinked back tears and returned to her room unnoticed and unbothered. Flinging her self on her bed, she dug under the mattress and pulled out the crumpled picture, as she had done every night for the last two weeks.

She stared at him, having already memorized the fit of his clothing, the power flex of muscles. Logan stood in such stark contrast to Fuller. He was brusque where Fuller was evasive; filled with white-hot fire while Fuller seemed to only exude icy detachment. Even their bodies were completely different—Fuller's lean build looked miniscule when compared to the armored tank that was Logan.

Mina clutched the picture to her chest as she drifted into aching unconsciousness, hoping and praying to see him the next day.

**Will we get to see a little more Logan/Mina action? Stay tuned to fine out! Wow....I kind of sound like a commercial... Reviews= LOVE**


	12. Chapter 12

**I know, I know, I know. I took forever to get this online. I'm really sorry, but I had to start college and its taking up a lot of my time these last two weeks. I'll probably only have one or two more chapters after this--wow, what a ride! I'm not sure I like how this chapter ended, but its where the characters wanted to go, and I have to respect that**. **I did, however, assert that there needed to be a Logan/Mina moment, as per the requests of the readers. They, thankfully, complied--rather enthusiastically, I might add.**

**Anyways, here it is. Reviews equal love.  
**

Mina stepped into the heels, balancing precariously on a nearby dresser. Her day had been filled with Megan's derisive comments and the smothering of makeup and her hair had been primped, polished, curled, and twisted to within an inch of its life. Yet, even in all this finery, Mina still felt gangly and awkward, still felt as if she were playing dress up with her mother's clothing. She gave herself a once over in the full-length mirror, frowning at the small scars built up from years of scraping out of one building or another, pulling hauls for Fuller. Would she ever feel sexy? She doubted it.

Megan stepped up behind her, "Do you mind? There are other people who have to get ready."

Blushing, Mina stepped away from the mirror and paced the floor, nerves eating at her composure. The festivities were gaining in strength and she could already see limos pulling up the drive. Music had begun to play, the bass vibrating against the floor beneath her heeled feet. She could hear voices drifting up from the guests, vague murmurings from conversations she'd never be able to understand. The stage was set for Fuller's elaborate farce, and she had to ready herself to be shoved into the spotlight.

Flicking her bangs from her eyes, Mina squared her shoulders. No amount of preening could make her look any better, and no amount of stalling was going to make her any more ready. She couldn't put it off any longer.

Slipping out of the room, Mina tuned out Megan's exclamations and focused on the dim light of the hall, the dull thud of her heels on the ancient and threadbare carpet. There were twenty steps from the Megan's door to the stairs. Twenty-five steps to the bottom, and endless amounts of eyes staring at her from the 'ballroom'.

"And here's the guest of honor!" Cried Fuller suddenly from across the room.

Mina flinched, but barely managed to hold her poise as the room quieted and she became the sole focus of the crowd.

Fuller pushed easily through the mass of mingling guests, coming to her side. "Doesn't she look beautiful?" There was a soft murmur of approval that made Mina flush with feminine pride. Maybe she didn't look so bad after all. Fuller gently but firmly ushered her forward, saying hello to associates here and there. The constant pressure on the small of her back kept her out of the shadows and smiling like an idiot as person after person took her hand and introduced themselves. Fuller never allowed her to stay long in one place, his jovial conversation veering off to another group as soon as Mina had learned names and occupations.

Finally, Fuller escorted her to a group of men who stood in a wide circle that dominated the space in from of the fireplace. They were speaking animatedly, each holding and expensive looking cigar, and each sipping on Fuller's cask of fifty-year-old brandy. Mina folded her hands in from of her in the most demure way she knew how and prepared to meet the overlords of her work.

"Gentleman," Fuller called. When he had their attention, he pushed her forward, "I'd like you to meet Mina Calloway."

Mina held her breath as she was examined. One or two nodded in approval, the others merely looked, scrutinizing her usefulness. One particularly rotund man stepped forward and clapped Fuller on the back, his face flushed with alcohol and sweat beading at his upper lip.

"Fuller! Let me take a look at our lovely guest, here." He pulled Mina close by her wrist, his grip strong enough that she knew not to struggle. Her stomach curling in knots, Mina suppressed the urge to gag as he ogled her body—she wished she hadn't worn this dress, wished there was a shadow around to sink into. But Fuller seemed to have anticipated her tendencies, and the room was fully lit by hanging lights, candles, and lamps. So, she stood inches from a man who basically held her livelihood in the palm of his hands along with all Fuller's work, trying to swallow back her bile as he pawed at her.

Seeming satisfied, the man said, "She's something special, isn't she?" He directed the question at Fuller.

Fortunately, Fuller was unable to answer as another voice rang out over the music, saying, "She sure is, Mr. Kent."

Mina turned on her heels, her mind racing at the familiarity of the voice. Ororo stood a few feet away in a stunning red silk dress that gathered at the waist, giving her the much-coveted hourglass shape. Her hair was pulled up and off her face, though the glasses she had donned disguised her eyes quite well. The overall effect was instantaneous—Ororo had stolen all the attention for herself, allowing Mina to calmly step away from the crowd.

Tiptoeing around guests, Mina reached for a glass of champagne and nursed it in a corner. Ororo was entertaining Fuller and the big boss, her eyes flicking over to Mina every so often. It was intriguing to see how Ororo's natural womanly grace emanated from her in waves as she entranced the men around her, smiling coquettishly and laughed demurely at their jokes. Eventually, she excused herself and strolled over to Mina, her hips swaying gently with every step.

"What are you doing here?" Mina asked in a rough whisper, her eyes never straying from Fuller. It seemed like a risky move to just waltz in and play nice with a band of thieves and killers.

Ororo chuckled lowly, "Rescuing you, silly girl. Honestly, did you really think I'd let you stay with," she nodded to Fuller, "that?"

Mina shrugged, "I could have gotten out on my own, you know."

"Of course you could, but Logan was getting impatient, and…well, here we are."

The air in Mina's lungs caught, "He's here?"

Ororo nodded, "Jean is standing just over there, and Scott is monitoring from the van outside." She smiled in genuine amusement, "It's going to be a real smash and grab, huh?"

Mina's eyes widened, wondering just how she could be so cavalier about snatching her right out from under Fuller's nose. The place was swarming with security, men with guns and nasty tempers that she really didn't need to see in action. And then there was Will, who was watching her like a hawk from across the room. The whole place was swarming with obstacles, most of them lethal, and Ororo just wanted to waltz out of the place with her in tow. She shot her friend a baleful look, knowing it was practically useless.

Sipping on her champagne, Ororo leaned down to Mina conspiratorially, "You should probably go pack anything important. We're not staying much longer."

"What?"

Ororo gave an exasperated huff, "Go upstairs, Mina. We don't have time to waste. I'll distract the crowd and you use that mutation of yours to the best advantage. Go!"

Not needing to be told twice, Mina set down her glass and meandered around the side of the crowd, keeping one eye on her path, and the other on the security guards passing by. Before stepping up the stairs, Mina checked to make sure Fuller was distracted. Ororo had taken the man by his arm and she could vaguely hear them speaking about money. It was a subject Fuller could engage in for hours—something that reassured Mina marginally.

Carefully, Mina pushed through the people standing on the landings until she had made her way to the top. With one last look to the crowd, she grasped at the nearest shadow and, uncaring of who might see, pulled herself to her door. After slipping inside, Mina wasted no time in dragging out her duffel and shoving whatever she had into the small space. Most of what she brought from the school was disposable, but Mina couldn't stand the thought of Fuller having anything that belonged to her, no matter how inconsequential.

So engrossed was she in her task that she didn't notice the silvery tingle shooting straight down her spine—her only warning that there was someone else in the room. It wasn't until she caught a whiff of cigar smoke that her body became instantly alert.

Craning her neck, Mina searched the darkened room, her hands shaking on the zipper of her bag. She held her breath for a beat, letting it exhale softly through her teeth. By the window, just outside the light filtering through the panes of glass, was a figure inhaling on a cigar, the red ember shining brilliantly in the shadows.

"Logan," she breathed, turning to face him fully with an incredulous look. He was just as she remembered him, dressed in tight denim and a leather bomber jacket, scruffy, and smoking.

Feeling a sense of utter relief pass through her senses, Mina bolted across the room into his arms, burying her face into the material of his tank top. He held her for several long moments, breathing in the scent of her hair, snuffing hard at the skin of her neck. Mina pulled him as close as she could, squeezing her arms around his torso so tight that, had it been any other man, she would have cut off his breath.

"I missed you," Mina said, knowing she meant it with every fiber of her being.

Logan pulled back and looked down at her, his eyes barely visible in the dim light, "I told you I would come for ya. Are you doubting me already?"

Mina scoffed, "You said a month. Here I was counting the days and you've gone on and jumped the gun."

He smiled. "Can I help it if I missed ya? If I wanted to see ya home as soon as possible?"

Mina felt a keen sense of fondness wash over her—to know that he missed her just as much or more than she missed him, it was perfect in every way. She lifted herself on her toes and placed a soft kiss on his mouth, savoring the scratch of his beard in contrast to the softness of his lips. Logan allowed the kiss to remain soft for a moment, then stepped forward to press his body flush against her and deepened it. There were no fireworks exploding outside the window, no symphony to play in the background, but Mina felt every ounce of her body light up as he continued to move her backwards, kissing her slowly.

It was hard to imagine that Mina had once been completely terrified of this man, but his gentleness often outshined that feral side to him. She had seen time and time again how he protected those he cared for, particularly Marie, wondering just what it would be like to know that, that kind of security was attainable. And now she was experiencing it firsthand.

He held her tenderly as her knees caught the edge of the bed, followed closely by her elbows. Logan leaned down to help her onto the mattress fully, easing down beside her. He traced a finger down the column of her neck and into the valley between her breasts. Mina's breath caught in her throat, leaving her desperate for air and wondering if a person could die from such a simple touch. She shivered.

With her hands finding purchase in the material of his jacket, Mina hoisted her body up to kiss a path from Logan's collarbone to the sensitive skin behind his ear, nipping lightly. He huffed a low growl, lowering his head to capture her mouth. Everything about him burned hot against her skin, from the press of his chest to the restless shifting of his legs as they tangled with hers.

"Wait," Mina sighed, knowing they had little time to make her escape. Logan grunted and continued to place hot, open-mouthed kisses along her skin. "Logan," she groaned, trying to push him back, "We have to get out of here. Fuller could come by any second."

Fuller's name seemed to snap him back to focus, his head instinctively lifting in the direction of the door. After a moment, he dropped his forehead to her chest, huffing.

"We're finishin' this when we get home." It wasn't a question, not even really a statement. It was a demand, urgent, forceful, and it almost had Mina saying _'fuck it'_ and taking him to bed anyway.

Logan shoved himself from the bed and offered Mina a hand to help her up. She took it, pulling her dress back down around her knees as she stood. Logan hefted her bag over his shoulder and moved to the window, opening it with a deft flick of his wrist. He threw the bag outside and gestured for her to climb out after it. Mina shrugged, pulling herself into the shadows and slipping down the side of the house with grace and ease.

Pulling her body back into the light, Mina flinched as a loud thump echoed behind her. She turned to see Logan unfolding himself from a crouch, looming over her in the darkness. Mina's mouth went dry as he stalked towards her, but a quick mental shove put her back on track. She hoisted her bag up and looked to Logan for direction. He merely pulled her duffel from her back and motioned silently for her to follow.

They got ten feet before the distinct sound of a bullet being shoved into the chamber of a gun rang out behind them. Mina watched Logan tense and shrug off the duffel along with his jacket. She tried and failed not to stare at the cool flex of muscle running along his back as he readied himself for a fight.

There was a distinct change in the way he looked to her as he moved to guard her. He was somehow bigger, his expression more brutal, than she'd ever seen. She trembled, knowing Logan could smell her fear, as Will stepped out from the corner of the decrepit old house, cocked pistol aimed right for Logan's head. Logan, himself, seemed impervious to the unspoken threat Will provided. He simply stood, tensed, ready for Will to make his move.

"You know," Will sneered, "I could have gotten you to the top, Mina. But I see where your loyalties lie." He cast Logan a disdainful look. "With the animals, with the mutated freaks of nature. I wouldn't touch you with a borrowed dick now."

That seemed to be Logan's breaking point. He surged forward, claws extending in one fluid motion, only to be shot down by a bullet to the head. Mina screamed, then screamed again, over and over as she watched the blood slip out of Logan's body, coating the garden floor in the warm, sticky mess. Her heart ripped itself into pieces, her mind fighting to deny what had happened before her very eyes.

Will snapped the pistol across her face, sending her to the ground. It was then that she heard the footsteps, the voices coming from inside. Ororo was at her side in an instant, pulling her to standing and putting her body between Mina and Will. Fuller was observing from the back steps, arms crossed. The whole place lit up with spotlights, guns cocking in rapid succession.

Mina saw none of this, her mind still replaying the sound of the bullet cracking against Logan's skull. She didn't register Jean yelling for Scott to hurry, or the growing wind created by Ororo's anger. Nothing mattered except that Logan was dead, gunned down in her place.

Fuller descended the steps, "I must say I'm disappointed in you, Mina. All this time, I thought we were getting along so well. I thought you had returned to me."

Mina felt tears streaking down her quickly bruising face, her eyes straying back to Logan's unmoving form.

"Let her go, Fuller," Ororo demanded. "We're prepared to take out your entire organization if we have to."

Fuller laughed hard, slapping a knee. "You think I would just let her go? Look at her! She the perfect spy, absolutely undetectable. And I won't be threatened by four—excuse me—three mutants whose powers are nothing compared to the vastness of my organization."

Ororo planted her feet, "Jean, a little help."

Jean nodded and held up a hand. Fuller raised one of his own and a shot rang out, clipping Mina in the side.

"Uh, uh, uh, Ms. Grey. Wouldn't want a stray bullet to take her lovely head off, would we?" He smiled, kicking at Logan's body, rolling him to his back.

Mina felt a kind of ire she'd never felt before flood her body. She wanted to take a rock and beat Fuller's head in, until he begged for mercy—or died, whichever came first. She moved to do just that when Jean's hand grasped her wrist, holding her in place with telekinetic energy. The more she fought, the harder Jean held her, until Mina felt her body begin to tire.

_You won't be any good to Logan dead, _Jean whispered in her mind.

"I don't care," Mina whispered back harshly. "Fuller _killed _him, can't you see? He'll stop at nothing until this is done."

Jean held her just the slightest bit more. _Wait, and look_.

Mina forced her tears from her eyes, and watched Logan's body as Fuller pressed a booted foot to his chest. Pain, shame, and embarrassment shot through her nerves, until she thought she'd fairly burn alive from it. It was her fault he was dead, her fault that Fuller could now desecrate his body in such a way. Her fault, her fault, her fault. Just like her parents' death was all her fault. She didn't know they couldn't see her, that she'd pushed into the shadows. She didn't know that they would be gunned down in the darkened alley. It was her fault… but she didn't know what she was doing, she was standing right there.

Feeling her heart begin to crack under the pressure, Mina dropped to a crouch between Ororo and Jean. She felt Scott lift her to standing with an arm around her waist, one hand holding tight to his visor. Fuller was saying something, his voice full of confidence and oozing that deceiving charm that came naturally to him. Everything was moving in slow motion, even Logan.

Mina blinked, staring dumbfounded as Logan wrenched Fuller's foot from his chest, pulling the man down and extending his claws. Both sets slipped ever so easily into Fuller's chest cavity, cutting his aortic artery like butter. Suddenly, everything was speeding up—Scott was dragging her away, even as she fought to get back to Logan. Guns were firing, the wind was blowing hard, and it had begun to rain.

Jean raised a hand and the school's jet revealed itself, shimmering into visibility one hundred feet in front of them. The door lowered and Scott rushed to throw Mina inside, pushing her into one of the seats before taking up the wheel. Jean followed closely, standing at the doorway and holding back the bullets as Ororo and Logan ran full-sprint from the hailstorm brewing in the backyard.

Pushing to her feet, Mina ran to the door and surveyed the damage. There were bodies a fallen all along the garden's pathways, most bloodied by claw marks and some missing limbs. It was pure carnage, an absolute raging war-zone where they were outnumbered and out-gunned. She stood there, dripping wet, dumbly, unmoving.

Logan caught her 'round the waist on his way in, pressing her into her previous seat and fastening the buckle even as the door was closing and the plane was lifting off. Mina flinched as a few stray bullets made their way past Jean's defenses and snapped against the hull of the craft. They were up and in the air within seconds, and moments after that they were speeding through the air with Ororo's help.

There was a moment where everything seemed to stop and all Mina could see was the horizon stretched out in front of her. And then she screamed. She released a one-ton burden of shock and pain that had gathered over the last mere minutes of time. Her breath shuddered in her lungs, seeping out in barely restrained sobs and forcing grunts of emotions from her throat. There was nothing but the shocking notion that Logan had decimated an entire crowd of people on her behalf—that he had died and come back to life for her.

Mina allowed her sobs to continue until her fatigue grew so great that she couldn't move, much less cry. Logan slipped off his seatbelt and gingerly stepped to her, crouching down in front of her with a cautious expression on his face.

"Mina, I—,"

Holding up a shaking hand, Mina cut him of breathlessly. "I need some time, Logan. There's just…too much right now to work through and I think I have to do this on my own."

Crestfallen, Logan nodded and stepped back to his seat. The cabin of the jet was curiously silent when they landed. The professor met them at the door, looking from one to the next and wheeling with them as they all boarded the elevator—all except one. Logan stayed behind, lighting a cigar and watching Mina from down the hall as the doors closed on her.

Mina, herself, gave Logan a pleading expression. Stay away, it said, let me come to you when I'm ready. All she could see was the blood on his face and clothing, blood that was on her own hands as well. She may not have liked Fuller, or the big boss, but watching Logan slice through them with little to no reticence was something she couldn't ignore.

With heavy steps, Mina trudged back to her room, forgotten duffel bag already sitting on her bed. Uncaring, she shoved the bag off her bed, stripped herself of her now ruined dress and slid under the blankets naked. She didn't want to think about the carnage, she just wanted to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, so let me just say that I'm terribly sorry for the delay in writing. I do have good reason, however. My boyfriend and I have had a messy break up and I haven't been able to really put my energies towards making a decent chapter, especially a chapter that involves writing about a relationship that continues to blossom while mine has disintegrated. Again, I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm really trying to do my best.**

**Reviews=Love, and I need lots **

Mina woke from the nightmare with a startled scream, her body flinging itself from the bed and into the corner, where she cowered in fear. Every night for an entire week she'd had the same dream—over and over she watched people dying. Some of the victims she recognized, often Fuller was there, but others she didn't know. All the same, Logan was always growling in the background, ready to slice through his next victim—inevitably, her.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Mina waited for her heartbeat to slow, pushing herself to take small, even breaths. She knew it was ridiculous to continue to have such dreams about Logan, but her subconscious mind wouldn't allow the thoughts to stop. He had been trying to be as calm and gentle with her as a man like him could be for the last week, never once growling at her or gripping her too tightly when they embraced. Yet she couldn't get the image of him ripping into Fuller out of her head, couldn't forget the puddles of blood seeping into the ground outside of that house.

There were footsteps coming from just outside her room, the light in the hall blocked by the shadow of approaching feet. The door opened slowly and Logan's head peeked in as he had done every night since her escape. He took in her appearance, and then nodded, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. Padding over, he lifted her by her outstretched forearms and guided her trembling body to the bed. Mina gripped him by the neck, inhaling the scent of him, something that would always calm her down in the middle of the night.

Pulling back the covers, Mina laid down, arranging herself on her side and looking imploringly up at Logan. He stared at her for a long while, and she could practically see the mental debated raging inside his head. Relenting, he stretched out beside her, rubbing soothing circles on her back and releasing an almost unnoticed rumble in his chest. When her breaths finally evened out, Mina stared up at him, watching the way the muscles of his jaw worked as he swallowed whatever emotion he was feeling. She traced a line over his scruffy chin, down over his Adam's apple, into the hollow of his throat. The hairs along the way scraped against her fingertips, tingling down the line of her hand and over her forearm.

It seemed to be a complete contradiction that she could feel so safe in his arms when her dreams of him were filled with nothing but terror and blood. She pressed into his chest, burying her nose and inhaling deeply yet again. While all her senses were preoccupied with his scent, touch, and sight, she didn't have to think about what he was capable of, what he could do if he got into a rage.

They had spoken little about it. All Mina could say was that she needed time, time Logan apparently had in spades. She not only had to process his fiercely primal reaction to being shot, but also that he was, in fact, shot in the head and was able to survive. And then there were the implications of that to deal with—his immortality and so on.

"Feeling better?" Logan questioned gruffly, his body adjusting to fit along her side, pressing intimately from chest to hip.

Mina nodded, sniffing. "I'm sorry to keep waking you up. I'm really trying, Logan, I really am."

Logan shushed her, "I know, darlin'. I know."

During the day Logan kept his distance, only embracing her when she initiated the touch, keeping his kisses brief and chaste. And while a part of Mina was frustrated with it, she knew she wasn't quite ready to take it any further, to press on with the relationship, not just yet. But they could lie together like this, could bask in each other's warmth and comfort every night, it seemed. With Logan laying beside her, she didn't dream of that night, had no nightmares to speak of—she wanted to ask him to stay every night, to come with her to lie down so that he didn't have to come to her room when he heard her stumbling about. But her natural reticence proved to be much stronger than her need sleep peacefully.

Upon waking the next morning, Mina noticed that Logan was gone, his warmth having already left the bed. She rolled to sitting and gazed sleepily around the room. Everything was the same, including her unpacked duffel lying solitarily in the corner. Checking the clock, she noticed a note lying on her bedside table, Logan's curiously straight scrawl clear even from the distance.

_Got hungry, went to make breakfast. Come down when you're ready._

Smiling a bit, Mina threw her hair in a messy bun and slid on a pair of Logan's old sweats she'd confiscated one night. They were entirely too big for her, but she could pull the drawstring tight enough that they stayed on her hips, barely. Stepping out into the hall, Mina made her way to the kitchen. The students were already in class, and as she passed some of the open doors, Mina felt the sharp twist of sorrow lance through her chest.

She had been given two weeks to 'recover' from her ordeal, but she found that the lack of activity left her restless and only served to force her to think about the garden slaughter in more depth. Without the steady bouts of problem solving that come about in the classroom, Mina had all the time in the world to play the massacre over and over in her head. It was an unsettling turn of events, but she tried to push through it, nonetheless.

When she strolled into the kitchen, Logan was standing at the stove, flipping bacon in a skillet. She took a seat at the bar, watching the flex of muscle beneath the soft fabric of his t-shirt as he moved—remembering the way that muscle would bunch beneath her fingertips as she grazed his back. It was a physical reminder of the power he held by a tight leash—she looked away, feeling her body heat soar.

"You gonna say somethin', or are ya goin' ta just stare all day?" He grunted as he slid the bacon onto a couple of plates.

Mina chuckled, "Just enjoying the view."

It was a familiar pattern. Mina would consider moving forward with their relationship sexually, Logan would call her out on in, and neither would do anything about it. The tension between them stayed at a constant hum, both wondering who would make the first move, and when. Mina was not so naïve as to think that Logan would simply let her go and move on as she half-heartedly wished he would. He'd been just as attentive to her after that night as he had before—more so, now that he knew that she knew he'd die for her.

He placed a plate in front of her filled with eggs, bacon, and toast. "Eat up. Long day ahead of us." Then, he sat down and dug in to his own meal.

Mina picked up her fork and glance quizzically at Logan, "Long day? What's so long about today?"

Logan forked a bit of egg into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "We're going to run the course. You and me, darlin', ta see who wins." There was a glint of challenge in his eyes that sparked Mina's more playful side.

"Really?" She drawled. "And what do I get when I win?"

Logan scoffed, "I suppose you could get a wish. And when I win, it'll be the same for me." Mina's eyes narrowed. That settled it—not only was she going to win, she was going to do it fairly, without using her mutation. It would make the victory that much more sweet.

When she finished, Mina rinsed off her plate and looked to Logan, "You about ready?"

He glanced hard at her, his brows lifting at her curt tone. "I didn't know you were so keen to lose," he replied roughly.

"Who says I'm losing?"

Logan blinked, then stood with a quick movement, the chair almost toppling over behind him. Moving with such effortless grace, he set his plate in the sink, placing his hands on either side of Mina's hips. "You're going to lose," he pronounced carefully. He stepped into her body, pressing her back against the countertop and encapsulating her with the breadth of his form.

Mina tried to come up with a response, but was cut off by the feeling of Logan's mouth pressing into the side of her neck gently, his scruff scratching at the sensitive underside of her jaw. "Don't worry," he husked, "It will be just as enjoyable for you as it will be for me."

And then he was gone, out the door, leaving Mina heaving a much-needed breath. She absently fanned herself, wondering just what he meant and feeling her stomach clench at the possibilities. After pondering for a moment more, Mina gathered her wits and steadied herself. She needed to be completely focused—if he was going to cheat, so was she.

Stepping out into the yard, Mina glanced at Logan, who was already waiting for her, "Do we begin on go, then?"

Logan lifted a brow, then smiled wolfishly, "Go!" He shouted, blazing through the entrance of the course. Mina blinked, taking off after him, her annoyance growing with his continued games and ambiguous phrases. She ducked under a fallen branch, her eyes steadily watching Logan's form grow larger as she caught up to him. He may be indestructible, but all that metal in his bones made him heavy—her smaller, lighter form giving her a clear advantage.

When she'd come to his side, moving around trees and dodging through the brush-laden paths, Mina gave him a sideways smirk, then glided into a shadow, moving forward several feet before appearing in the daylight that shifted through the canopy above. She repeated the sequence several more times, moving further and further ahead of her competitor and savoring the freedom she felt with each use of her mutation. Soon, she was several hundred feet ahead, winding around the far end of the course and making the turn to the bridges.

They were gone, completely gone. Someone had cut the lines to the rope bridges she and Logan had built only months ago. She stared at the abyss in front of her, wondering just how she was going to cross the path. Considering her mutation, she quickly tossed the idea out, knowing that the tress parted just enough on far side that she'd drop like a rock and probably be killed as soon as she hit the light.

Logan barreled through the clearing, the momentum of his movements tossing him across the crevice easily. He ducked to a roll, standing after clearing the jump. Mina watched him move, awe and annoyance battling in her mind. He was going to win, and she couldn't do anything about it, not even cheat. It was damn frustrating but she knew she should have expected nothing less from him. He was, if anything, willing to do whatever is took to secure a victory.

Turning, Logan regarded her with a smirk, "C'mon, darlin'. Yer only halfway there and yer already givin' up!"

Mina shot him a baleful glance, her hands on her hips, contemplating. "You cut the lines," she said as she scanned the posts they'd set up.

He nodded, his smirk widening into a full-blown smile.

Huffing, she threw her hands into the air, "How am I supposed to cross without a bridge. Some of us actually get hurt when they fall a hundred yards down."

Logan's face crumpled slightly, but he quickly recovered, his eyes daring her, "Jump, Mina. I'll be here to catch ya." He held up two fingers seriously. "Scout's honor."

Mina rolled her eyes, pacing a few steps away and back, her eyes continuously scanning the crevice for footholds and weak spots. It would be nearly impossible for her to make it, she knew. There was no guarantee that he'd even be able to reach her, let alone catch her. And then it dawned on her.

Taking a few steps back, Mina checked to see if he was ready. Logan spread his legs a bit, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet, arms ready to catch her. With a quick prayer, Mina charged to the crevice spreading her legs into the lift and jumping towards him with all her might. She made it a few feet, then her stomach dropped and she was falling. The world spun past her as she made a grab for the nearest limb, her fingers threading through debris fruitlessly. Her body seized as she realized that she wasn't going to make it across, that she hadn't jumped far enough.

Logan's hand wrapped 'round her wrist and yanked her to an almost stop before pulling her the rest of the way across the fissure. Stumbling up the side of the cliff, Mina gripped him, quite literally, for dear life, her breath coming in gasps as she buried her face in the fabric of his t-shirt. There was no letting go for her, not now, not when he heart beat so fiercely in her chest and her eyes squeezed out the world around her.

Righting her body, Mina stared up at him with wide eyes. "You caught me," she proclaimed lamely.

"Told ya I would," he responded, brushing her bangs from her face and plucking a leaf out of her hair.

Mina swallowed back the emotion that threatened to take her voice, "I shouldn't have doubted you."

Logan studied her face with a hard expression, his mouth pursed into a thin line. He hadn't released her quite yet, and truthfully Mina was reluctant to let go. He felt absolutely solid, a rock against the crashing waves of her memories and emotions. She felt the tears come, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the cloth of her shirt. It was cleansing, almost, to be able to allow the racking sobs to come without pretense or fear of what someone might think of her. Logan was here to hold her through it, to lean on when she couldn't take any more.

Rising to the tips of her toes, Mina kissed him hard, throwing all her pent up emotions—good and bad—into the only physical representation of her feelings for him. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, trapping her arms against his chest as he pulled her close. There was nothing for her but the feel of him, the scratch of his scruff as it brushed against her cheeks, the press of his fingertips into her hips, nothing existed outside of him.

Then, Mina pulled completely out of his embrace, smiling mischievously, "Last one to the mansion is a rotten egg!" She called to him, taking off into the shadows, feeling lighter than she'd felt in weeks. After a few seconds, she heard Logan come tearing after her, a booing laugh sounding from somewhere in the trees. There was no losing now; she knew she had him when the shadows pulled together enough for her to move much faster, much more smoothly, than he.

Panting, she flew out of the woods, landing softly on the grass and tumbling to a stop. Half a second later, Logan bulldozed out of the trees, falling beside her on the grass, heaving unsteady breaths.

"Cheater," he wheezed, flopping his arms out to the side of his body.

Mina smirked, "You like it when I cheat."

Logan swallowed, catching his breath, "I guess this means you win."

Looking at him, Mina could tell he was a little put out, but a lifted eyebrow expressed his curiosity as to her side of the wager. Mina rolled to her side, resting her head on the palm of her hand. "Stay with me," she said softly.

Logan's brows furrowed, "What?"

"Stay with me, tonight. Stay with me tonight," Mina repeated, trying to make herself clear while the blush rose from her cheeks.

Sitting up, Logan ran a hand through his hair, "You don' know what yer askin'," he practically growled, his arms tensing as he pressed the pads of his fingers into his temples.

Feeling a rise in ire, Mina sat up forcefully, "I do, too!" And then, she realized, she knew she probably didn't. In the garden, she'd seen the very extent of what Logan was capable of, but never had it been pinpointed directly on her—not even in the danger room. She also realized that she must have sounded like a child, petulant, sulking after being scolded by their parent.

"No, you don't," Logan pronounced carefully. He gave her a sideways glance; his mouth twitching in what should have been a smile. "We'll get there. But it's too soon. I…need the time to adjust to just how much I…"

Mina lowered her chin, urging him on without words, her breath catching in her teeth. When he didn't continued, she placed a comforting hand in his forearm, "How much you what?"

Logan blinked slowly, averting his eyes a moment, then returning his attention back to her. His gaze nearly seared her with its intensity. There was so much heat, that Mina swore she could feel the sweat on her brow evaporate as he looked at her. "How much I want you."

Surprised at his candor, Mina's eyes widened, "Oh." She stumbled mentally for words, saying, "I'm not sure what to say to that, except that the feeling is mutual."

Logan's expression softened as he lifted a hand to brush against the underside of her jaw. "I don't doubt you."


	14. Chapter 14

**So, this chapter is a little short, but I really some writer's block. I'm not actually sure what's going to happen next. I want to develop Logan and Mina's relationship a bit more, but the words aren't coming as easily as they had in the beginning. However, I did make up for Mina's bad dreams of late with a bit of citrus flavored goodness. Enjoy!**

He was behind her, she knew it, could feel it with every fiber of her being. She shivered, the sheen of sweat over her body chilling her in the airiness of the room. And then he was there, the heat of his body flush against her back, his skin tingling over her nerves. She exhaled with the feeling, leaning back into his chest and tilting her head to the side so that he could nuzzle the juncture between neck and shoulder. God, he felt so good. She didn't have the words to express the feelings that washed over her as he ran his hands over her stomach, smoothing the camisole down towards her underwear.

The room was growing steadily hotter, almost stifling as she undulated against him, feeling the evidence of his want pressed hard against her backside. He groaned, gripping her hips tighter, nipping at her skin until she knew there would be a mark. The knot that had been growing in the pit of her stomach grew even more tight, almost painful, as she turned in his arms, reaching up to pull his mouth down to her own.

He kissed her hungrily, devouring her small moans and whimpers and replacing them with heavy groans. His hands traced that bottom edge of her camisole, pulling it upwards so that he could slip his fingertips beneath the material. Lazily, he explored the skin there, circling ever upwards as he kissed down the column of her neck.

With a sharp movement, he pushed her backwards, and suddenly the empty room was filled with a large and lush bed. Mina eased back, watching with heavy breaths as Logan leant down and crawled up the space and over her. He kneed her thighs apart and settled in the cradle of her hips, moaning at the friction.

Mina arched upwards, pushing her hips into his and savoring the feel of the low growl he emitted in return. Using her feet, she pushed at the sweats around his hips, easing down to his thighs in an effort to get more skin-to-skin contact. He groaned, lifting to push the fabric the rest of the way down and kicking the material to the floor. With nothing between them, save the soaked fabric of her underwear, Mina felt her want of him skyrocket. She pulled him to her hard, wrapping her legs around his waist and moaning loudly at the feel of him thrusting roughly into the apex of her thighs…

Mina shot upwards in bed, heaving breaths she didn't have until her heart slowed to a normal pace. She pressed a hand to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut to stop the dream from replaying in her mind. Trembling, Mina swung her legs out from under the covers and slid out of bed. There was no way she was going to be able to face the world this morning, let alone Logan, without a thorough shower.

Turning on the faucet to cold, Mina hissed a breath as the water hit her skin, then exhaled slowly as her body returned to a normal temperature. Soaping her hair, she considered whether or not Logan was experiencing a similar problem every night, whether his dreams were filled with heat and skin as hers were. It didn't seem likely, given the fact that, while the tension between them hadn't lessened, it certainly hadn't gotten any worse—at least not for him.

Mina cursed his fear of hurting her, knowing that it was for the best. She still flinched occasionally when they touched, a sure sign that she wasn't completely over the issues between them. But still, it didn't make it right for him to flaunt himself in front of her, tight jeans, no shirt, and not expect her to push a bit. She was only human, and he was beautifully made. How could she not want to touch him?

After drying off, Mina tugged on a pair of workout shorts and tank top, thinking that it would be good to work off some of her excess energy by going a couple of rounds in the Danger Room. She grabbed her workout bag and stepped out of her room and into the bustling hall. A couple of her students waved at her from their paths to their next classes, some calling out that they wanted her to come back to class so they could have a rematch on the course. She didn't have the heart to tell them that she was on mandatory leave, or why she had been absent for almost two weeks. She did, however, let them know that she'd be back on Monday.

As the halls cleared, Mina turned the corner to the elevator and slowed to a stop, pulling herself instinctively in the shadows. Logan was speaking to Jean in a hushed manner—so hushed that she barely heard the reverberations of their words in the acoustics of the hall. His head was bent low to her mouth, his brows furrowed. Jean was speaking lowly, but quickly, her hands moving to grip Logan's forearms. Mina stopped breathing, her mind stuttering over the fact that Logan could allow Jean to remain so close while he literally held her at arms length.

Feeling confused, and not a little bit angry, Mina turned from the scene, opting to go the roundabout way to the Danger Room, rather than walk straight through. On the way, she passed Ororo, but waved her friend off irritably, her mind focused on the perceived betrayal. She trudged along wordlessly until she reached the elevator, punching the buttons with barely restrained anger. Once inside, she leaned against the back panel and huffed her frustration to no one in particular, literally banging her head against the wall as she tried to work through Logan's behavior.

When the doors opened, Mina marched along the corridor, tapping in her passkey to the Danger Room, and stepped inside. There was a punching bag with Logan's face all over it waiting for her. After taping her hands, she set about releasing some of that growing frustration, punching and kicking until her arms were sore and her knees were red with the repeated pressure. It felt good to let go of some of her excess energy—built from days of sexual frustration and lack of activity—and process it into something she could deal with logically.

No sooner had she worked her body into an exasperated tizzy did Logan stroll in, curious look on his face. "Ororo said you were in a tiff. Came to see if you wanted ta talk about it."

Mina cast him a dark look, then resumed her punching, throwing her whole body into it. A few beats later, Logan caught the bag, holding it in place as she hit the leather hard. "Don'tcha think I've had enough."

Swinging one last roundhouse kick to the bag, Mina turned and started away, knowing that her anger was irrational, but feeling it nonetheless. Logan let out a rough sound in the back of his throat, catching her arm as he swung around her. Her ire growing with every passing step at his blissful ignorance, Mina pushed him back, doing little good as he weighed three times as much as she did. He issued a grunt, grasping her wrists even as she tried to jerk away.

"What the fuck is goin' on with you?" He barked, his hold on her unrelenting.

Mina pulled hard, "Why don't you go discuss it with Jean, Logan? Maybe she can make it all better." Even as the words poured from her mouth, she recognized the bitter jealousy with which they fairly dripped, but she didn't care. All she could feel was rejection and inadequacy.

Logan's brows drew together, "Jean? What does she have ta do with yer bein' mad?"

"I saw you with her just now, Logan, looking mighty cozy," Mina shot out tersely. His confused expression cleared minutely, but his grip remained tight. Knowing she had the upper hand, Mina knocked him off balance and drove him to the ground. He landed hard, almost denting the smooth flooring, but recovered quickly, shoving her around to her back.

"Yer jealous? That's it?" He asked incredulously as he looked down at her. "Jesus, Mina, there's nothin' ta be jealous of."

"I know that!" She practically screamed, lifting a knee to throw him off once again. He deftly avoided it, but rose far enough that Mina was able spin round and crawl a few feet before he caught her ankle and drug her back again, her clothing rubbing roughly against the floor of the room.

Breathing hard into her ear, he let out a snarl that said she should probably stop while she was ahead—something she had never been good at. She elbowed him in the gut, twisting the try to throw him off only to be pinned once more with a loud, savage growl, one that she recognized as his last warning before he was going to draw blood. Uncaring, she bit down on the arm holding her torso down, feeling with satisfaction the firmness of the adamantium beneath her teeth.

Logan snarled again, lifting up just enough to grab both arms and stretch them above her head, his thighs anchoring her bottom half to the floor. Mina watched his expression twist in rage, only softening when her eyes widened in fear. He lowered his head to her chest, resting the weight of it there for a few beats.

"This is why I keep you so far away," he murmured sighing. The heat of his breath fanned over her abdomen, sending shivers of something that definitely wasn't fear trembling over her body.

Shifting his grip so that he held both wrists in one hand, Logan hefted his torso up, balancing it on his free hand. "You push every button I've got, Mina, all of them. I can't guarantee that, when we fight like this—or make love—I won't hurt you."

With him leaning over her as he was, his body blocking out everything else, Mina felt her mouth grow dry as heat rushed down south. Outwardly, she scoffed, "I'm not afraid of you," she bit out hoarsely, preparing to once again throw him off.

Logan inhaled to reply, and then almost choked, his face scrunching a little as he analyzed the scent. A knowing look traveled across his features, a wolfish smile following close behind. Leaning down, he sniffed hard against the skin of her neck, his grip loosening just a bit.

Sighing, Logan let go of her hands and rose to his elbows, "See what I mean about buttons? By all means I should be pissed that yer not takin' me seriously enough, but," he dropped his forehead to her own, "You smell so good when you're turned on."

Mina's answering gasp was swallowed by a hard kiss, his hands moving to tangle in the hair that had fallen from her ponytail. He slipped his tongue between her teeth, rubbing it sensuously alongside her own. It was by far the closest he'd been to her since the incident, and Mina wasn't about to let it go to waste.

Slipping her hands down his body, she gripped the muscle of his back, hauling him down to her so that his weight rested quite heavily over her chest. He groaned, shifting to push her knees apart and settle into the curve of her hips. _Finally_, she thought, bending a leg to encapsulate his waist. He was finally overcoming some of his fears about hurting her, finally allowing her to be as close to him as she'd ever hoped.

Needing air, she pulled away from the kiss, gasping even as his mouth followed the trail over her jaw and to that sensitive tendon at her shoulders. There he remained for a moment, teeth scraping over her nerves until her neck arched back exposing the whole of her throat to him. Feeling him tense above her, Mina cracked open an eye, squeezing them shut almost immediately when he moved a fraction of an inch to the left, to the hollow of her throat and sucked that skin into the heat of his mouth.

Moaning, Mina's grip tightened, her hips rising to press hard against him, seeking some kind of relief. He shifted back, deftly denying her that relief and chuckling. Mina opened her eyes, narrowing them at him in warning. When he just smiled down at her with molten heat in expression, she tilted her hips slightly, hooking her leg around to throw him to his back, following the roll to sit astride his hips.

For a moment, Logan looked a bit stunned, but he lifted his torso, pulling her close so that he was sitting cross-legged and she was held quite securely in his lap.

"What am I gonna do with you?" He said quietly, a smile firmly in place.

Mina's eyebrows rose a bit, "I can think of a few things." She punctuated the sentence with a roll of her hips, feeling that hard ridge that signaled his arousal.

Logan growled softly, his fingers digging into the small of her back to hold her still. "Playin' with fire, darlin'," he proclaimed roughly.

There was enough of a warning in his voice and the tightness of his grip that Mina knew she could push no further that day. But it was enough to know that they were making progress, enough to satisfy her for a time. She draped her arms around his shoulder and leaned into his chest, offering her apology without words. He returned the gesture, holding her to him for a moment before intimating that she pull back.

"You hungry?"

Mina smirked, "Famished."

He seemed to consider her answer, his eyes closing briefly, and then he ran a hand down her thigh affectionately. "Let's get some grub, then. Hop up."

Rising to standing, Mina pulled her ponytail holder out of her hair, brushing the fallen strands back so that, when they made it back to the cafeteria, she wouldn't look like she'd just been laid—much. The mirror-like quality of the room showed that her lips were bruised and pouting, and there was a distinct rash of whisker burn across the tender skin of her neck and chest. No one in the room would miss the clear signs, but she found she didn't really care. They were adults, weren't they?

Logan hefted her gym bag over his shoulder and jerked his head towards the door. As she moved past him, he placed a warm hand on the small of her back, guiding her silently to the elevator. Inside, he pulled her to him, back to chest, his arms wrapping around her waist and holding her still against his body.

Mina snuggled in, wondering how many more Danger Room sessions it would take before she actually got him into bed. From the feel of his hard-on through the material of his jeans, she figured it wouldn't be long. Smiling, she placed her hands over his forearms and squeezed, sighing and leaning further into his arms. She could really learn to love this man.


	15. Chapter 15

**After a VERY long hiatus, here is the next installment. I really didn't know what to do with the story, so I started freewriting, and this is what came out. I apologize for the long wait, but after my breakup, I just couldn't force myself to write about relationships any more. I know, I know, this is three months too late, but I think it wouldn't have been worth the energy to write something half-assed and I wanted to do justice to the development of the relationship between Mina and Logan. **

**BTW, there's a contest at the end of the chapter, you should check it out. luvs.**

Mina strolled down to the kitchen, stopping dead when she caught Logan loading aluminum foil-wrapped packages into a small wicker basket. Stepping around the island, she quirked a quizzical brow up at him, "What's all this?"

Logan pulled her in close, placing a kiss on her forehead, "Thought we'd have a picnic, since it's so nice outside."

Glancing out the window, Mina smiled. It did look beautiful, and she was in dire need of a little more vitamin D. "Sounds wonderful," she purred, hands shifting upwards to drape over his shoulders. Logan smirked, palming her backside and rubbing his stubbled cheek against her.

"We should go before someone shows up. I want you all to myself today," he said, releasing her to grasp the handles of the basket. Logan took her hand, guiding her out of the side door and into the back yard. They walked for a few minutes, discussing their respective classes, Mina smiling broadly the whole way. If she had known he was planning something this sweet, she would have dressed up a little bit more. As it was, she would have to settle for the jean cut-off shorts and baseball tee she'd thrown on that morning when she woke up and the bed was empty.

Logan refused to stay overnight, ever since a student had caught him striding out of her room early on a Saturday wearing only his jeans slung low over his hips. The rumors had spread like wildfire, and by the time her class rolled around on Monday, she was dodging a veritable firing squad of questions from curious students. Her blush had lasted well past dinner that night, ending when Logan had laid down the law—which had surprised the hell out of her. Mina didn't figure he was one to care what people thought about him.

Spreading the blanket out, Logan unloaded the basket while Mina watched, thoroughly enjoying the view. Over the course of their relationship, she had become less and less reserved about watching the interplay of muscles and tendons in his back and arms as he went about the business of the day. He set out two packages of chips, two foil-wrapped packages that looked like they were sandwiches, and two tall glass bottles.

Grabbing one, Mina smiled, "Are you trying to get me drunk, Logan?"

He lay down beside her, opening both bottles, "If ya get a buzz off'a one of these, you'll be the biggest lightweight I've ever seen."

She shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time." Reaching for the sandwich, Mina began to unwrap the foil as Logan looked on. She pulled it away, revealing a bologna sandwich with cheese. Logan likewise unwrapped his sandwich, with a sheepish expression.

"Apparently, we need to go shoppin', the kitchen wasn't well-stocked," he grumbled, taking a bite.

Mina chuckled, "No, this is perfect. I haven't had a bologna sandwich since I was a kid, before—well, before my parents died." She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully and reveling in the long-remembered taste.

Logan, having learned that she would tell him more about her past at her own pace, practically inhaled the sandwich, reaching for the chips before Mina was halfway through her's. The day wasn't exactly hot, but the sun had been shining all week, leaving the earth with a comfortable residual heat, even with the light breeze. Still, Mina wished she had brought her jacket with her as the skin along her arms was raised with goose bumps. Shifting to lean against Logan, she hoped to soak in some of his warmth—his high metabolism turned him into a furnace, especially after eating.

As she grabbed for her chips, she said, "You know, this could be considered our first real date." Rolling her head to the side, she looked up at him. He took a swig of his beer, pulling her to lay down with him on the blanket. She settled in the crook of his arm, resting her hand over the beat of his heart.

"I think we're a little further than that," Logan replied, catching her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm.

Mina laughed, "I agree, but this is the first time we've been, you know, completely alone."

He shifted to face her, leaning on one elbow, "What about movie night?"

She thought about it, "No. A student, or a teacher, or the professor—god forbid—could have walked in at any time. Out here…it feels like we could be truly alone for a while."

Logan's eyes softened as he brushed her hair back, "Ya don't like crowds much."

She shook her head, sighing, "No, but I'll tell you what I do like." She ran her fingers lightly down his jaw, feeling the scratch of his beard, "I like you." Pressing a soft kiss to his mouth, Mina pulled him down to her. "I like your mouth," she said around the kiss, "I like your warmth, your weight." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him. "I even like that you growl at me when you're annoyed."

He laughed; pressing his nose into her hair, a shoulder shaking laugh that felt contagious. Mina found herself laughing with him, the laugh intensifying when he rolled to his back, pulling her over to rest on his chest. She folded her hands beneath her chin, smiling broadly as he ran his hands through her hair, slipping them down to lie on the small of her back.

They lay like that for a long time, basking in the afternoon sun, so long that Mina felt her eyes droop, and her head loll. Eventually, she fell into a light sleep, listening to the wind blowing through the trees and the beat of Logan's heart beneath her ear. She didn't dream, but in her subconscious she could still see the yard around them, surrounded and guarded by trees, the sun shining through the branches to dot the lawn in erratic patterns of light.

Feeling like she could lay there forever, Mina grumbled and rolled to her back when Logan shook her shoulders gently to wake her. She snuggled down into the blanket, sighing when she felt him press his mouth to her forearm, working his way to her shoulder. Mina turned her head to the side to give him access to her neck and jaw. He shifted his hands beneath her, lifting her to sitting, but Mina didn't quite want to give up her little game as of yet. She let her body go limp, her head falling forward to sit on his shoulder.

Logan laughed softly, lifting the veil of her hair and tilting her head back, "Hey, wake up. The professor wants to see me."

Mina opened one glaring eye, squinting against the sun behind him. "Make me," she said mischievously. Logan's eyes lit with the challenge, and then he proceeded to tickle her sides, forcing her to almost scream out a laugh as she struggled to get away. She twisted from him, batting at his hands as he followed to down to the blanket, dodging flailing limbs.

"Stop, stop, stop," she cried, laughing so hard tears leaked from her eyes. Her breath came and went in hard gasps as she hugged her aching stomach. Logan rolled back onto his heels and looked at her, trying to straighten out his disheveled hair. He chuckled as she tried to catch her breath, swatting her thigh so that he could fold the blanket.

"You should laugh like that more often," he said, pulling the blanket out from under her and folding it roughly into fourths. He helped her up, holding her steady as she brushed her shorts off, "You look beautiful when you do."

Stunned, Mina looked up at him, unable to really form words. It had been a long time since she'd heard someone describe her as beautiful and really mean it—and he meant it, she could tell by the look of his eyes. She smiled, rising to tip-toes to kiss him briefly. They walked hand-in-hand back to the school, entering through the kitchen where Logan set down the basket, throwing away the foil and bottles.

The intimate atmosphere of the picnic hadn't abated, leaving Mina feeling as if she were full of tiny butterflies flitting back and forth in her body. Smiling broadly, she grasped his hands, pulling him out into the hall towards Professor Xavier's office. He followed easily, trying to grab her hips once or twice his fingertips brushing against air as she easily slipped into the shadows, avoiding him. Mina always drifted back quickly, leaning against him as they walked as a kind of apology.

When they reached their destination, Mina recalled the first time they'd met in this exact place—the fear she felt when he'd nearly pummeled her in the hallway, the unapologetic Wolverine at his meanest. And now…now she was being playfully nudged towards the teacher's wing, pulled back and kissed, then sent on her way. She giggled for the first time in years, her heart skipping as she turned to watch him watch her walk away.

By nightfall, Mina was beginning to become more than a little worried as Logan had yet to return from his meeting and the school was becoming eerily quiet. Even the teachers had disappeared, and that was what worried her most. Sighing, she made her way to the elevator, unsurprised when it began to move automatically, lowering her several levels.

When the doors opened, she stepped out into the hall and made her way to the uniform room, hands occasionally running along the walls. There were voices emanating from the uniform room, and Mina stepped through the door, curious to see what all the commotion was about. The X-men would outfitted and ready to go, tossing each other communication devices and engaging in shop-talk.

Mina didn't even both the shift into the shadows, placing her hands on her hips and waiting patiently for someone to take notice of her form in the doorway. Eventually, Ororo saw her and smiled, making her way across the room to speak with her.

"What's going on?" Mina asked, gesturing to the room. She just barely managed to keep the ire out of her voice, opting not to stoke any of the fires that may be present in the tension before a job.

Ororo pulled on a glove, "Just a routine check on a major corporation. We got a tip not long ago that a couple of mutants are being held there for ransom. Tonight it the recon work. Tomorrow, we make the attempt at getting them back."

Mina glanced behind her, look for Logan and not finding him, "And this takes the whole team?"

Ororo shrugged, "No, but we're not taking any chances right now, not since…" Mina knew what Ororo was referring to. She meant, not since they pulled her out from under Fuller's control and the possibility of retaliation from his employers hung over their heads. It didn't make her feel better that she had caused it, but she also felt that if they were walking into a trap, she would be the first to realize it, having worked with most of Fuller's colleagues.

Jean noticed her as she pulled her shockingly red length of hair up into a ponytail, "What's she doing here?" She asked Ororo.

Mina flinched, "_She_ is wondering why she didn't get informed of this, since _she_ is supposed to be part of the team."

Right on time, Mina felt the hair on her arms rise, signaling to her that Logan was somewhere nearby. She turned and saw him, fully suited, approaching with caution in her eyes. Immediately, Mina felt the sharp stab of betrayal hit her square in the chest. Logan knew about the mission, knew that she was being purposefully left out, and had kept it from her. She stepped back and away, putting a little more distance between them, which halted his steps.

"What?" She asked, "Did I not do enough Danger Room sessions to pass, or was all that 'welcome to the team' stuff just a load of bullshit. I thought the concept of 'team' meant that we worked together."

Jean sighed, looking to Scott for moral support and receiving none. He merely threw up his hands and walked away. Mina stared her down, expecting an explanation—a viable explanation, and quickly.

"We know about you and Logan," Jean said in way of justification.

Mina's brows furrowed, "And?"

Another sigh, "And…well, we think you're a liability. This is important, there are people's lives at stake and the team need Logan centered and focused."

"You think I'm distracting him from his job?" Mina asked, incredulous. She cocked a hip, folding her arms over her chest defensively, "What about you and Scott? You're together, and you're working on this mission."

Jean gave her a sympathetic look, "But Scott doesn't go ballistic on people just because I get a scratch."

Mina gasped, actually stumbling back in shock, hitting Logan square in the chest. He caught her easily, pulling her to the side to step forward.

"Yer walkin' a thin line, Jean," he said in warning, and Mina could definitely hear the growl lacing his voice like acid. Jean stood firm, however, unafraid of Logan. Mina wondered if Jean had actually paid attention to how the Wolverine had pulverized and entire house of men in seconds.

She tossed her head lightly, "No, you're walking a thin line. I won't have one of my teammates compromised just because of a roll in the hay."

Mina launched herself forward, fully intending to beat the bitch to the ground, but Logan held her back. He wrapped his big arms around her, lifting her bodily so that her feet were kicking inches off the floor. She struggled for a few moments more, until her breath started coming in gasps and her hair fell forward over her eyes in disarray.

Jean sent her a satisfied smirk, "Clearly, she's unstable. I'll be talking to Professor Xavier about her place on the team."

Mina's mouth dropped open and her muscles relaxed so quickly that Logan almost dropped her. She held onto his forearm across her hips, wondering how she'd gone from curious, to outraged, to fired in just a matter of minutes. She looked to Ororo, who patted her shoulder.

"It'll be alright," she said, "The professor won't penalize you for that—it was underhanded, even for her. I suppose that just makes her jealous." She winked at Mina, striding away in a wash of white hair and leather.

Turning to Logan, Mina was at a loss for words. She threw up her hands, feeling utterly flabbergasted that—whatever had just happen—had just happened. Drained, she leaned her forehead against his chest, balancing her weight with her fingers in his belt buckles.

"I don't get it," she said. "I just don't get it."

Logan's chest rumbled, letting her know that he was far from satisfied with the situation, "I'll get ta the bottom of this. I promise." He gripped her shoulders, pulling her away slightly and turning her face upwards, "Go get some rest. I'll come to ya when we're done with this and we'll talk."

Mina nodded, allowing the tension to run out of her muscles, "My room?" She said hopefully. When he nodded, she reached up to kiss him, enjoying the unique flavor that was Logan. "I'll be waiting," she whispered, then strode around him and back into the hallway. Needing a nap desperately, Mina shuffled into the elevator pressed her floor number, ambling out and into her room on autopilot and wondering just what she was going to do about the Jean situation.

Some time after midnight, Mina heard her door crack open. Resisting the urge to shift into shadow, she turned over to squint into the dark expanse between her and the door, sighing when Logan slipped between the sheets of her bed. He pulled her to him, angling the soft planes of her body to rest against the sharp angles of his own. Mina reached back for him, intertwining their fingers and resting their hands against her abdomen.

"How did it go," she asked in a sleep-husked voice.

He rubbed his thumb along the skin of her palm, "We got a lot of information, not that I was any bit of help." His breath fanned across her neck, stirring the hairs on her cheek. She rolled slightly to look at him, still gripping his hand.

"I don't think your refusal to work with Jean is going to get me back in her good graces," she said softly.

He chuckled, "No, but it pissed her off a little, which made me feel better." Letting go of her hand, Logan stroked the skin of her neck, following the largest tendon down to her clavicle. "The Professor is goin' ta take care of this in the morning. Jean was outta line, and he'll set her straight." He leaned down and kissed her, his hand cupping her cheek. "If not," he murmured as he pulled away, "We'll just have to make sure we're louder than them."

Mina's eyes hit her hairline as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Even on the best of days, she'd never been particularly rambunctious in the bedroom. But Logan did tend to make her do strange things when he touched her, so she really couldn't be sure what would happen when they finally did move in that direction.

Logan laughed, "Shocked ya into silence, did I?"

Mina shook her head, "I'm just… not used to innuendo. You're going to have to bear with me while I learn."

Trailing his finger down the center of her chest, Logan said, "Only if ya promise to practice often."

She giggled, running her hands through his hair, "And only with you."

"Damn right," he replied, planting a length of kisses from jaw line downward over her clothes to her navel, where he rested his head for a moment. Looking up at her from his position, Logan's eyes softening with affection, "You know, Ororo wasn't wrong when she said Jean might be jealous."

"Oh?" Mina replied lightly, shifting so that he could lie comfortably between her thighs, her hands caressing his shoulders.

He nodded, "When I first came here, I had—we had a thing for a while."

Mina's hands stilled, "You slept with her, then?"

The shake of his head was echoed by her exhalation, "No, but there was a mutual attraction."

Touching one of his unruly curls, Mina watched him watching her, his eyes so guarded that she felt a pang of sympathy for him. "And you think that, since I got you, she's feeling jilted—isn't she kind of married?"

Logan sighed, "Yes. I was stupid, and I wasn't thinking."

"Are you thinking now?" Mina shot back, eyebrow raised.

Keeping his eyes locked on her face, Logan shifted upwards so that he rose above her, "I'm thinking that yer the best damn thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm not going to let Jean try to tear us apart because I had—had in the past tense—a crush on her."

Smiling, Mina wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tightly to her and kissing his cheek, "Okay."

"Okay?" Logan rumbled, his face pressed tightly into the crook of her neck.

"Okay."

CONTEST: **Here it is, this is a two-part contest you can enter by submitting a review. Just let me know what your favorite line from the previous chapters has been--it can be dialogue or it can be prose. In order to qualify, you must write the line and the chapter its from. Part two: Write a line you'd like to see in the next chapter. It could be dialogue, or it could be a descriptive line. Both parts must only be one sentence, and part one must be marked with the chapter from which it is from.**

**PRIZES!!!**

**The person who gives me the most creative line for the next chapter will win a preview of the chapter 24 hrs before I post it, as well as exclusive previews for the following chapter. That's a preview of the next chapter before I post it, and a preview for Chapter 17! **

**The contest will end on February 7th 2010 at 11:59 pm. Any entries after that time will not be considered for submission.**

**Enjoy!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, I'm so sorry this was delayed, but I'm coming to a stopping point with the sotry, and I'm trying to figure out how the end it. Usually, map out the story beforehand, but I just let this one take me where it wanted to. I do have some ideas, but they haven't been fully fleshed out. This chapter and the next will be a bit of filler and the next chapter is full of fluff to get away from the angst. And yes, chapter 17 will have some citrus flavoring, but I need to edit it a bit more. I'll put it up soon, promise. ;)**

Mina woke before Logan, when the sun shifted over the horizon and through the curtains in her room. Squeezing her eyes shut as tightly as she could, she turned over, putting her back to the window, and buried her face into the pillow. However, now that she had woken, Mina had little hope of returning to sleep that morning. Her night had been restful enough—no nightmares due to Logan's presence—and she found herself wide awake at eight am, ready to face the day.

Lifting her head from its trench in the pillow, Mina studied Logan's profile in detail. His face bore no scars, but she could faintly see the lines of stress that had developed over his many years—whether from time spent fighting in one way or another, or from the brooding that emanated from his very soul.

Reaching up, Mina traced the thin line between his brows, smirking when they twitched from the sensation. She followed the line down over his nose, dipping lightly into the hollow above his mouth, over the surprisingly soft skin of his lips, to his chin. There, her fingertip snagged on the coarse hairs of his beard. She tapped the spot lightly before drawing her hand away.

Looking at the clock, Mina judged that she'd have maybe ten more minutes of lazing about before she needed to hop in the shower. She sighed, staring up at the ceiling and going over her plans for the day. The obstacle course had ceased to be effective for the students, their progress was slowing down. It might be time to begin training them on hand-to-hand combat and evasive maneuvers. There would be issues with mutations—but she had been clear with them that, during her class, using their mutations would lead to a dismissal. That didn't mean that they wouldn't use them in a fight scenario when they were down.

Sliding from beneath the covers, she padded to her dresser and pulled a clean pair of jeans and a black t-shirt from the drawers. Then, she stepped into the bathroom and turned on the taps. The heat from the water created a swirling steam that eased her into full wakefulness. She scrubbed her body, conditioned her hair, and turned off the water, pulling a towel from the rack and wrapping it around her body. Raising a hand, she wiped the condensation off the mirror and leaned against the counter, staring herself down.

Her body had lost some of the leanness that had developed due to her constant running about for Fuller's jobs, but she found that she really didn't mind. She liked the softness of her stomach, the roundness of her hips. Her curves fit perfectly into the sharp angles of Logan's body, which suited her just fine. Besides, she was done with using her power for Fuller; she was on the side of good now. Or was she? Jean had made it very clear that there was no trust between them and that Mina was by no means a part of the team. The thought irritated her so much that she felt the pull of the shadows become acute. Jean had always been nothing but courteous to her—well, before Fuller had her hauled off. But there were many things that had changes while she was away, and Jean was turning out to be one of the more frustrating of those changes.

She shrugged the towel off and pulled on her underwear and bra, tightening the straps to fit her shoulders. Then, she stepped into her jeans and threw on her shirt, sloughing the extra water from her hair with a towel. Roughly, she dragged the towel through her hair, squeezing the excess from the ends. Her frustration wasn't exorcised by the action, but it did make her fee; just the tiniest bit better.

After dragging a brush through the tangles, Mina decided to let it air dry, though she knew it would be in a ponytail by the end of the day. She couldn't help that the unruly mop would fly into her face at the most inopportune times, forcing her to tame it with one of the few surviving ponytail holders on her wrist. Mina made a note to pick up a few more the next time she went to the store.

As she stepped from the bathroom, Mina was surprised to see Logan gone. But then she remembered the deal they'd made. He would be back, she knew, after he'd changed out of last night's clothes. Mina walked to her dresser, picking up her mascara and lightly applying it to her lashes. As of late, she hadn't been wearing much makeup, but today she wanted to look a little more like a woman, and a little less like the tomboy she'd been for most of her life. Fuller didn't always approve of—no, he was dead, and his thoughts and opinions were no longer her own. She set the tube down hard and examined her face. Her high cheekbones and natural tan were enough to make her look exotic, but she knew—from listening to the conversations of the many women drifting in and out of her life—that a little touch of lipstick never hurt no one.

Practically launching herself to her suitcase, she dug around until she found the four color palette and soft coral lipstick—a gift from her friends in Paris before… well, before Fuller had exercised his wrath upon them.

Having no brushes, Mina settled upon using her ring finger to dust a sandy brown eye shadow on her lids. The color had a slight shimmer to it that Mina thought brought out the crown in her eyes a little bit more. Then, she snapped the palette shut and opened the tube of lipstick, spinning the bottom half to expose the color. Carefully, Mina rubbed the lipstick over the bottom half of her mouth, then her top—ever so careful of the cupid's bow.

When she finished, Mina leaned away from the mirror and examined her face. She didn't actually look that much different, which pleased her. But there was enough of a change that she found herself smiling, feeling pretty. Her eyes looked larger; her mouth more sensual, and the eye shadow was perfectly matched for her skin, making her lids almost glow.

Mina made the decision to explore more colors in the future, and to buy another compact just like this, in of case of emergency. All the things she couldn't do with Fuller alive seemed suddenly within reach, and Mina allowed herself to feel a kind of desperate hope that maybe, just maybe, things were going to be okay from now on. With Fuller dead, she didn't have this massive secret hiding just behind every corner. And with Logan there with her, she had all the protection she could want.

Breathing deeply, Mina felt her body relaxed so much that when the door opened suddenly, she didn't have the instinctive urge to slide into shadow in the slightest. Turning, she leaned heavily against the dresser, watching Logan step into her room, closing the door behind him.

"Mornin'," he said lowly, striding to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Good Morning to you, too," Mina replied, leaning up to kiss him lightly. "What time is your next class?"

He pulled her close, resting his forehead on her temple, "Not for a couple of hours."

"Good," Mina said, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw, tracing the column of his neck.

Logan's grip tightened, but he pulled away, "Wish we had the time, Mina." When she pouted, he chuckled, kissing her several times in quick succession. "Got ta meet with the professor. Ten minutes."

Mina sighed dramatically, but allowed him to lead her away from the dresser and out of the room. As they walked, she threaded her fingers through his, their joined hands swaying with each step. The professor's office was directly between the teachers and the student's wings, giving each population the access they might need throughout the day. Classes were in session, so there wouldn't be a wait for them—not that Professor Xavier would allow there to be a wait.

The door opened before Mina could even think to raise her hand to knock, and the Professor called for them to enter from behind his desk. Logan released his grip, pressing his hand to the small of her back, allowing her to enter before him. She stepped inside, sidling around the edge of a chair and sitting, her legs crossed at the ankle. Logan sat heavily in the other chair, his arms sprawled over the armrests.

"I suspect you are eager to hear my opinion on the matter of your acceptance to the X-men," he said solemnly, his hands folded in front of him.

Mina nodded, fidgeting with her hands and glancing around the room nervously.

The Professor leaned forward, "While I do not think there is a conflict of interest while working together, I do foresee problems arising should you become hurt during a mission."

Scoffing, Mina looked to Logan, whose body had tensed, the veins along his forearms protruding. She cast a worried glance at the Professor.

"Logan does not always have the best grasp on his inner animal, as I am sure you have noticed," he said. "But he has improved marvelously—barring the most recent incident."

It sounded like Logan was a difficult child, throwing tantrums, rather than a fully grown man with a temper. Mina held her tongue, but broadcast her thoughts loud and clear, making sure Professor Xavier heard her. He didn't so much as flinch, but Mina could see his eyes glint knowingly.

"And?" she urged, rolling her wrists.

He smiled, "I have decided to have a trial period. Three months of small missions, and then we'll make a final decision."

Mina's jaw dropped, "You're putting me on probation? Because of this?"

He leaned back in his chair, "It is more than I would have granted you, had Ororo not stepped in. You are a veritable unknown for the team. Add in Logan's evident protective streak, and we lose all cohesion, all assurance that things will go as planned."

She looked away, wishing the light wasn't so bright so she could slip away in embarrassment.

The Professor's face grew grave, "Logan is one of the most effective members of the team, Mina. Granted, his methods sometimes leave much to be desired," he shot Logan an exasperated look. "I will not have the integrity of the X-men compromised."

Shooting up from her seat, Mina gave the Professor a nod and exited the room, moving quickly so as to dispel the burst of aggravation bubbling in her chest. She power walked back to her room, utilizing the shadows to get there in half the time, slamming the door behind her and throwing herself on her bed. She cried. She felt like an idiot, but she cried, anyways. Frustration compounded upon frustration, and it finally took its toll, destroying any sense of calm she could have possibly had at any point during the day. Mina cried hard enough that she knew the Professor could feel it down the hall, hard enough that her makeup smeared on her pillowcase, and hard enough that after a few minutes her head began to hurt.

Hearing the door open, Mina turned her back to it, wiping the tears from her eyes and sniffling. Frustration gave way to embarrassment and shame, her cheeks burning against her curled hands. The bed dipped behind her and she ducked her chin further into her chest, squeezing her eyes shut.

A warm hand gently rubbed the length of her spine. Logan didn't say anything, but his presence at her back was undeniable, softening her emotions and wrapping her in comfort. Mina sniffled again, "I'm sorry," she said.

Logan's hand paused at her back, "For what?"

"For storming out like that," Mina said, eyes look ahead, avoiding his gaze. "It's not fai. I haven't done anything wrong—but they don't trust me."

Logan scoffed, "Most of us do, Mina. But Jean is more careful, less trusting—and the Professor trusts her." He leaned down, embracing her loosely. "Give it time."

Mina rolled her eyes, "You mean probation?" She turned over on her back, "Did you have a probationary period?"

Taken aback, Logan involuntarily shook his head.

Sitting up, Mina raked her hands through her hair. "This is what I'm talking about. I want to be treated like everyone else, and I can't help my past. It's not like I chose to be Fuller's henchman. He chose it _for_ me."

Giving her a soft look, Logan brushed away the fresh tears, cradling her jaw, "I know, and I'm sorry it has to be this way, but what the Professor says, goes."

Looking up at him, Mina said, "I'm so lost. I can't stand being treated like a common criminal, but I don't have anywhere else to go."

Logan smiled, "Well I wouldn't say you're _common._ Not everyone can disappear at the drop of a hat."

Closing her eyes, Mina allowed her body to relax into the mattress. "Very funny, but you know what I meant."

"I do," he replied, sliding his body down to lay beside her, "I also know that you'll make it through the probation and that, at the end of it all, yer gonna knock them on their ass."

Opening her eyes, Mina glanced over at him, smirking, then she reached up and circled an arm around his waist, pulling him close, "Thank you."

Logan huffed slightly, but pressed a palm between her shoulder blades, "Yer welcome."

Mina glanced at the clock and sighed into Logan's chest, "I have class."

He released her, rolling to standing and offering her his hand. Mina took it, yelping when he yanked her up pressing her body close. "Let's go out tonight, to the bar." When Mina looked like she would balk, he wrapped both arms around her waist, hauling her to face level, "We both need to unwind, and you know it. Classes don't start for us until the afternoon… C'mon, it'll be fun." His voice took on a teasing quality that had Mina smiling broadly.

"Okay, okay, we'll go out. But," she pressed a finger to his chest, "No drinking contests—and no pissing contests with Scott."

Logan barked out a laugh, "Done." He dropped her down to the floor, "Now go on, teach those kids a lesson or two." They left the room together, and Mina's good mood rose even higher when she caught sight of Jean standing talking to the Professor. Logan's hand squeezed her closer, pressing the length of their sides together. She reveled in him, wrapping both arms around his chest and smiling like a fool. Jean could suck it for all she cared. She was going to rock out this probation, and then, when she was officially a part of the team, she was going to be the best damned X-man that ever lived, so help her God.


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, what can I say... I've been away for quite some time. My only excuse is that I have been dealing with some depression and have just gotten the ability to write back in my possession. I hope this lemon-scented chapter will make up for the lost time. Reviews=Love**

The class stared at her from their lined ranks, mouths agape at her suggestion of Tae-Chi. John, the self-appointed leader of the group raised his hand in confusion. Mina nodded, recognizing his question.

"Yeah," he said sifting the raised hand through his hair as if embarrassed by needing to be called on to speak. It had been a struggle, but she finally got the unruly students to settle into the knowledge that she was, in fact, their teacher, and they should probably learn to respect her rules.

"What does Tae-Chi have to do with fighting?" John asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Mina huffed a soft laugh, "It has everything to do with fighting. It's about control, breathing, consistency. It's also about self-discipline. You can't hope to win a fight against someone who is equally matched in skills if you don't have self-discipline." She shrugged, "But if you want to go back to running the course over and over, I'm sure Logan and I can make it more difficult over the weekend."

A rally of groans echoed off the walls of the gym and Mina smiled. Winter was in full swing and the woods had become damp and muddy—otherwise, miserable. Evidently, her students would rather stay inside.

"Let's get to it!" She called, motioning for the group—dwindling around fifteen—to line up so she could show them by example. They moved through the now familiar routine of stretching each muscle group, calling out corrections to one or two of the students along the way. They had made a spectacular leap of progress in conditioning where, at first, they hadn't made it ten minutes into cardio before dropping. Now, Mina often found herself tiring out before they did, youngsters that they were, and ending the session with her legs and back aching with the exertion.

Learning Tae-Chi had taken several intensive years of training under Fuller's close watch and the best tutelage money could buy. Her trainer had quite the task ahead of him, teaching a fifteen year old, bored, shadow-shifting young lady to sit still and focus. When she could get away with it, Mina had disappeared in a puff of shadow and run off to do her own thing. It had taken a particularly devastating beating and a three day coma to stop that behavior.

Mina rotated her core and brought her hands to the side, allowing her breath to expel through her pursed lips and push the memories away. From behind her, she could hear corresponding exhalations and she smiled, noting how quiet it had become in the gym. The air around her felt thick with silence, echoing across the wide spaces of the rafters and settling at her shoulders as she shifted into the next move.

Time slowed, and what felt like hours shoved themselves into that span of fifty minutes. Mina's alarm buzzed on her watch and she dropped her arms. "Okay, guys, that's it for today. Please review the handouts from this morning and come back tomorrow, ready to focus. You did great for your first day."

A rumble of replies shifted through the crowd, and Mina waved them off, striding over to her bag and gathering her paperwork. As she bent at the waist, she heard a soft whistle sound from behind her. Instantly, she was facing point of origin, reprimand on the tip of her tongue. Instead, she laughed, slinging the bag over her shoulder and walking over to Logan, who leaned against the bleachers, thumbs in his belt loops.

As she walked towards him, Mina surveyed the easiness of his shoulders, that way his whole body seemed relaxed, a sharp change from the tension she'd seen since she'd come back from Fuller. In place of his brooding persona was a sly, mischievous Logan that she had only glimpsed in their romp through the Danger Room forest. Mina stepped up to him, rising to her toes to kiss his cheek softly.

"You certainly seem relaxed today," she said, giving him a curious expression.

He smiled, the expression crinkling the edges around his eyes, "Just won three rounds at the bar tonight."

Mina raised a brow, "From who? No, don't tell me. Scott, right?"

Logan nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist and guiding her to the halls. The tardy bell rang, and the students rushed around them, bustling to class before the last ring. Mina dodged a few, shuffling into Logan's body for protection. He pulled her closer, nose brushing her hair to capture her scent. Mina thought she heard a growl, but in the noise of a busy hallway, she couldn't be sure. Still, it made her feel light as air, and very, very warm.

They rounded several corners before stepping into cafeteria. It was still a bit early for lunch, but Mina saw several of her students hunched over their plates or talking animatedly about the hop topics of the day—which, by chance, included her most recently publicized relationship with Logan. When she caught their curious gazes, Mina attempted to give them her best 'teacher glare,' and while most looked down and away, one gave her a wink and thumbs up. Mina had to hide her blush in the material of Logan's t-shirt.

After acquiring their lunch, Mina followed Logan to the back of the room where the designated faculty table sat mostly empty she inwardly scoffed when she caught sight of a head of fiery red hair being flicked over a delicate shoulder. Mina so didn't want to deal with her at the moment. Briefly, she considered dragging Logan out to the patio seats, but the first snow of the season had begun to fall and she knew they'd—well, she'd—freeze to death out there.

Instead, Mina tried her best to look confident as she sat down beside Logan, shuffling her utensils around nervously. Tension sat thick in the air around then as the silence continued on. Mina kept her eyes down and picked at her food, not sure if her appetite would hold under the stress.

Logan, however, seemed overly relaxed, one arm flung over the back of her chair, the other holding an apple he was currently demolishing. If Mina had, had the courage to look up and to her left, she would have noticed that his sly expression had not dissipated and that it had, in fact, grown more devious.

"So, Jean, you goin' to the bar tonight?" He asked.

Mina's head shot up so hard it cracked her neck. She winced and went to rub the muscle, but Logan's hand beat her to it, rising from the back of the chair to nestle at her nape, fingers massaging the hurt area. It felt wonderful, but Mina was determined to stay on her guard, no matter how seductive his fingers were.

Jean, herself, looked a bit startled, but said, "I hadn't thought about it. But now that you mention it, I think I'll go."

Eyes narrowing, Mina kept her mouth shut, glaring at Jean from over her glass of milk. Logan's hand, warm even to her flushed skin slid down to her shoulder.

"Good. If it's one thing I'll advocate, its faculty camaraderie."

Mina gave him a confused glare, matching Jean's expression, but didn't say anything. He was up to something, she could feel it. The question wasn't so much as 'what' as it was 'how much damage is this going to do?'

Mina sighed into her plate, counting the minutes until this awkward and strange interaction would be over. Finally, after many subsequent sighs and cringes. Jean rose from the table, cast a final look at Mina, and left to dispose of the tray in her hands. Mina watched her go silently, waiting until she was out of hearing range before turning to Logan.

"What the hell was that?" She whispered sharply.

Logan's smiling face grew even more amused, and he grasped her chin with his thumb and forefinger, shaking it gently. "Don't worry," he said, "I've got it handled.

Mina's brows drew together, "You've got what handled?"

When he shook his head to brush off the question, Mina placed her hand on his bicep, "No, you don't get to hide things from me."

Taking hold of her hand, Logan pressed a kiss to her palm, "I promise nothin' bad will happen."

"You don't know that," Mina retorted. "Believe me, I know about plans and schemes. Someone always gets hurt."

By now, Mina's voice had risen as a very real fear set in. Thought of plans laid out before her while Fuller sat watching her every movement flashed across her mind, and Mina gripped Logan's hand. He shushed her, pulling her in for a hug and petting her hair.

"No one will be hurt. There's nothing to worry about. 'Sides," he said, "We're supposed to be relaxing. It's just more fun to watch her squirm."

Mina chuckled, leaning back to look up at him. "Just don't take it too far, yeah? There's only so much a woman can take before she retaliates. I don't know about you, but Jean kind of scares me."

Logan smiled, planting a kiss on the top of her head and pulling her into a loose hug, "Like I said, don't worry about it. I've got it covered."

By the time Mina finished her classes, she was rushing to her room to make it through her routine before going out with Logan. She slammed her door shut and flung her body out of her clothes, shoving the denim and cotton away from her skin until she was left in only her bra and underwear. With uncoordinated, jerky movements, she shoved her legs into her tightest pair of jeans. Then, she shuffled over to her closet and picked through her meager wardrobe to pull out a soft silk shirt she'd picked up ten month's prior for Easter. The job had gone horribly wrong, however, and she never got to wear it, instead spending Easter Sunday in the ICU. Absently, Mina ran her fingertips over the scar on her chest, her mind replaying the events.

Pulling the shirt from the hanger, Mina slipped it over her head and pulled her hair from the collar, staring at herself in the mirror over her dresser. It draped nicely around her stomach, and the neckline sunk low enough that she actually had cleavage for once. Mina turned this way and that, watching as the material swirled around her in soft waves, the emerald green color shining against the paleness of her skin.

Knowing she had little time to finish getting ready, Mina rushed on to the next step. Makeup. Pulling out the palette she'd grown more comfortable in using, Mina swished the darker shades over her lids, rubbing at the edges with her ring finger to soften the line. Then, she swiped the mascara over her lashes, leaning back to analyze her face. She wasn't going to be the belle of the ball, but she certainly looked more sexy than usual—she only hoped Logan would notice.

A knock sounded at her door. "Come in," Mina called, placing her makeup back in its place and running a brush through her locks to smooth the strands. Ororo stepped through the door, holding a box in her hands.

"I come bearing gifts," she said, checking down the hall surreptitiously before closing the door.

Mina smiled, ushering Ororo deeper into the room and staring at the box with a kind of anxiety building in her stomach. She rubbed her hands together as Ororo flipped open the lid, presenting her with her one and only pair of heels.

"You owe me big time for sneaking out between classes to pick these up," Ororo said, pulling the black satin pumps from the box by the heels and presenting them to her.

Mina grasped them awkwardly, "I know, and I really appreciate it. I'll buy you a drink later, I promise."

Ororo chuckled, shaking her mass of white hair, "I was just joking, Mina, I'm not going to make you pay for my trouble."

Smiling at her blunder, Mina placed the shoes in front of the bed and stepped into them, stumbling only slightly as she fitted them to her heels. They were higher than anything she'd worn in quite some time, but low enough that she knew she could get around for a little while at least before having to take them off. Mina glanced over at Ororo's outfit and gauged it against her own, judging her clothes to be acceptable for the occasion. She had no better, but Mina was safe in the knowledge that she didn't really have to be completely dolled up to go out—as was her previous supposition.

They chatted a while longer while Mina's nervousness boiled low in her abdomen, taking turns at the mirror to pull each other's hair into some kind of style. Mina flipped Ororo's mane into a low knot at the base of her neck and Ororo folded Mina's into a soft bun. The loose hairs fell around her face in uneven layers that all at once looked haphazard, sexy, and intentional. She touched it, smiling when Ororo slapped at her hands, saying she'd ruin it that way. They grabbed small handbags and Mina slipped her ID and a few bills inside, knowing she probably wouldn't drink much, but wanting to be on the safe side.

Logan was waiting for her when she carefully stepped down the stairs, wobbling just a little in her heels. She could tell that she had cleaned up well because, when she was in arm's reach, he pulled her in for a tight hug, his hands straying downwards towards her ass.

"Whatdya say we skip the bar and go right back up to my room?" He asked, a growl set loose in his voice.

Mina smiled into his chest, pushing him away gently, "I did not go through this much effort to turn around and run right back upstairs." She gave him her best attempt at a coy smile, "Besides, anticipation is half the fun."

His arms tightened around her, and Mina shook her head, sighing. There was no doubt in her mind as to what he wanted, and the thought send pleasant shivers down her spine and a divine heat into her abdomen. Still, she wanted a night out. She wanted to relax—and as appealing as a night spent rolling around, sweating, with Logan was, she needed to get out of the school. The tensions had been running high the longer she trained—the closer she came to being a part of the team—a breaking point was coming.

Scott and Jean arrived a few moments later. Ororo, ever the house mother, guided them all out the door with shooing hands. Mina held Logan's hand as they walked the two or three blocks to the bar, her heels clicking all the way. They hadn't been broken in yet, but the extra height allowed her to sneak looks at Logan without tilting her head too much. He continued to embody that confident swagger, to which she had become accustomed. And she felt every bit as confident as he looked, walking hand in hand with him down the street.

The bar wasn't exactly hopping, but there were plenty of people milling around, ordering drinks and talking animatedly with one another. Logan guided her with practiced ease to one of the booths and slid in beside her, hand holding tightly the whole time. Mina felt a warm rush of endearment as he rested their entwined hands on his thigh, thumb brushing against the back of her hand in warm circles.

Ororo slid in opposite them while Jean and Scott waited at the bar for their first round. Mina smiled at her friend, noting that Ororo had pulled her hair back from her face and pinned it, something that she rarely ever did. But, the effect was such that her skin was glowing and her natural beauty shone through even more. Ororo winked at Mina's questioning look.

"So, I hear you have our next round of team members under your wing," Ororo started casually.

Mina shot Logan a glare, "Yes, I'd like to think so. A couple are pretty rough… but some… some I think could be ready in a year or two. That is—if they don't have to be put on probation first." Mina couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice.

Ororo patted her free hand, "Don't worry. I will all work out in the end. I know it."

"I wish I could be so sure," Mina replied, looking up as Scott sat down. Three beers were placed in front of Logan, who smirked up at the veiled man.

"I'm glad you decided to honor our bet," Logan said, scooting one beer over to Mina, who took it gladly.

Scott gave a motion of his head that said he was rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses, "I would have won if you hadn't cheated."

Logan shrugged, "What would be the fun in that. Besides," he loosed Mina's hand, sliding his palm over her thigh. "She likes it when I cheat."

Mina turned beet red as her expression turned incredulous. Logan simply smirked, hand squeezing her thigh gently.

"You know you do," he murmured in her ear, low enough that his voice wouldn't float over the sound of the music playing in the background.

Mina shivered, rolling the beer in her hand to her wrist to cool the heated sensation that wash heavily over her skin every time he even looked at her, much less touched her.

After another round, the mood had lightened considerable, and the bar had filled out to a raucous bustle. People danced, laughed, and hollered to their heart's content. It didn't seem to matter what was going on, just that there was something happening. The boys—meaning Scott and Logan—had started up a pool tournament, teaming up rather than becoming adversaries and were in the process of winning the whole group a round of shots.

The eight ball sank, and Mina raised her hands in victory with everyone else. Lining up at the bar, she hugged Logan to her, resting her dazed head on his shoulder while their drinks were filled—shots of tequila. She wondered half-heartedly if this is what being in college felt like. A never ending quest to see who could drink the most and who could get the most drinks for free. She downed her shot and coughed on it, wincing at the burning as it worked its way down her esophagus and into her stomach where it settled into a hot pool.

Then, on a whim, she dragged Logan out onto the dance floor and pulled him close. The DJ had started something raw with a driving rhythm that had the whole crowd moving in one solid undulating mass. She smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It was at this time that she realized that she had, on some unconscious level, always wanted to dance with him—to see if his liquid grace followed him into music and movement. And, it appeared, it did.

Logan picked up the tempo easily, swaying from side to side, his hand guiding her movements as much as they were holding her tightly to him. Mina dropped her forehead to his chest and laughed, the sound spilling out from her lungs as Logan pushed her out, and pulled her in, her back to his front. There, he draped his arms around her torso, hands returning to their previous positions on her hips, pressing them into the curve of his body. She sighed, arching her back and rolling with the movement and flicking her bangs from her eye to look up at him.

His expression was reminiscent of one she had seen before, that day he had destroyed her dresser drawers (for which she had not gotten a replacement). Mina sucked in a breath and held it, swallowing back the sound that threatened to bubble up from her throat. She stared right back at him, willing him to move one way or the other. After so long at a veritable standstill in their relationship, she didn't want to push him either way. And, being that they were in public, she couldn't very well throw him to the floor and have her way with him. No, patience was what she needed, but Mina didn't know how much longer her patience would last. Not with Logan reciprocating her motions, rolling his hips against her, sinking his fingertips into the cloth of her shirt.

The song changed again, moving to a much slower beat, one meant for seduction. Mina made her decision right then. She was going to do everything within her power to get Logan to make love to her tonight. She was ready, no longer held back by memories and fears. The only thing standing in the way of her victory was Logan, himself, who didn't look like he minded hard press of her body at all.

Spinning once again, she threaded her legs through his, running her hands down his chest and to his back, nails pressing ever so gently.

Logan huffed out a breath in surprise, but recovered quickly, slipping his palms over her bottom to the crease where cheek met thigh. There, he lingered for several minutes, guiding her legs further apart so that he could slip one thigh between them. Then, he leaned down and kissed her softly, resting his forehead tenderly against her own.

They swayed for several more bars of music before it changed yet again to something a little more evocative. The beat pulsed through the air, shaking off the almost dream-like trance to which Mina had begun to succumb. The slow, steady beat of the music wove over and through the couples on the floor. Mina leaned heavily into Logan, inhaling his cologne and memorizing the feeling of his arms wrapped around her body. She wanted this—wanted it forever. And, damn it, she was going to have it.

Looking up at him from beneath her lashes, Mina smiled softly, wanting to convey how much he really meant to her, how much she needed him. And he seemed to read her message loud and clear. There was a flash of something searing behind his eyes, and then he was maneuvering them away from the center of the dance floor. In a whirl of motion, Logan retrieved their coats and had her tripping along behind him down the street—back to the mansion.

Excitement and adrenaline rolled through her body, applying static to her nerve endings and turning her mouth dry. She swallowed several times as she tried to keep up, Logan pulling her by the hand. His longer legs carried him surely over the sidewalk, and she struggled a bit in her heels. They made the trek back to the school in minutes, but Logan barely stopped to close the door before he was pulling her up the stairs to the teacher's wing. They passed by her door—which confused her as they usually slept in her room. Logan made a beeline for his own door just down the dimly lit hall.

Once inside, Mina felt a warm rush of apprehension. Her breath was pushing out of her lungs from their rapid pace and she hadn't quite gotten her bearings. Logan's broad body blocked the door and any chance she could have had at an escape. But he wasn't approaching her. His body, in fact, was moving in the opposite direction, leaning back against the door. Having settled himself, he took his time admiring the view in front of him. Mina tried not to blush under his scrutiny, but nonetheless could feel the heat burning at her cheeks.

Unable to think of anything else to do, she balanced on one foot and slipped off her heel. When she looked up, Logan had covered the distance between them. His hands gripped her hips, now uneven due to wearing a single high heel. With firm pressure, he guided her to the bed and pressed her down onto it. Then, he knelt in front of her, eyes scanning the length of her legs. Fingertips slipped down over her thighs, under her knees, and down her calves to grip her ankles. They rested there for only a beat before Logan slipped off her remaining shoe. Then, they began the trek back to her hips—this time slipping up over the tops of her knees and into the vee of her thighs, dipping ever so closely to the apex before pushing under the material of her shirt.

Mina lifted her hands above her head and allowed the material to be pulled up and off. She then dropped her hands and made a desperate attempt to look at Logan. It was, however, nearly unbearable as the heat of his eyes rushed over her skin, searing her with its intensity. Logan tossed the shirt aside and leaned down, capturing her mouth in a decadent kiss. Mina allowed it for a moment, taking all the hunger he shoved at her, then relaxed her entire body. Her back curled back into the mattress, her head meeting the material last. She bounced once before coming to a rest, her hair falling loose around her face.

Logan stared at her, his breath rushing in and out of his lungs in husky pants. Mina waited patiently, knowing instinctively that she need not push too hard. Logan was always fearful of his inner animal and would stop if he lost control. She had to urge him with a delicate hand, allowing him time to adjust between each movement. She flexed her hands, her palms itching to roam the length of his still-covered torso. Stillness, was key. And Mina was heading for the victory.

With careful, measured movements, Logan cupped the edges of her bra, easing the material up before grasping the skin beneath. Mina arched, inhaling roughly. Immediately, she was pushed down by Logan's forearm, his face inches from her own. Mina licked her dry lips, breathing out at Logan's eyes flicked down to watch the movement. He eased off her, shifted her body on the bed.

With a smooth glide, Logan had her correctly situated on the bed and was kneeling at her feet. Tentatively, she let her knees drop, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. He needed to know that she was accepting him, and that meant she had to remain relaxed and calm. Though, she had no idea how she was going to do that with his eyes traveling hungrily over the length of her body. She swallowed, wishing she had turned on the fan. The heat from her body felt like it swelled from her skin, causing tiny pinpricks of sweat to roll from her brow.

Logan crawled over her body, palms making the trek on either side of her torso. Mina pulled all her nerves into a tight bundle and reached for his shirt. She rolled it up his abdomen and over his shoulders. He ducked his head through the largest hole and rose against the movement of the fabric to pull loose his arms.

Mina dropped the shirt to the floor and stared. She had known, had even seen, that he was strong. But the beauty of his body was always a gasping surprise for her. Ardor rising, she grasped his belt, slipping the large belt buckle loose, and pulled the strap of leather through the loops. Before she could throw the belt over the side of the bed, Logan had worked the button of his jeans through the buttonhole and was shoving them down and over his ankles. The material joined the others.

Feeling a bit shy, Mina did her best to not let her eyes stray. She had never seen a naked man this close before. What made it worse was that Logan seemed oblivious to her embarrassment. He simply soldiered on, running his hands up and down her sides, thumbs hooking in the waistband of her underwear on the return trip. He drew the fabric down over her knees, doing away with it almost immediately. Then, he went to work on her bra, all the while placing hot, open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone.

Mina gripped Logan's shoulders, her nails scratching ever so slightly when Logan hit a particularly sensitive spot. There was too much between them, even as Logan drew her bra away from her skin, his thumbs running tight circles around her nipples. There was exquisite pressure between her thighs, which Logan soothed and stoked with every touch. There was a sharp clench as he pressed himself inside. It grew in intensity as he moved, following the movements in and out. After a moment, he raised himself on his palms, allowing her time to adjust.

Flexing each muscle in succession, Mina waited as the pain subsided, leaving a remarkably full feeling inside of her. Logan must have sensed her relaxing because he soon began to move. Small, slow movements intended more to soothe than arouse. Yet, arouse they did, as Mina made small returning movements which fostered her growing confidence. However, she could still feel Logan holding back. His arms shook with the effort to keep his movements slow. His teeth grit against the natural urge to shove forward.

Mina sucked in a breath, not know if she was tugging the tiger's tale. "Logan, you have to stop."

Startled, he looked up and into her eyes, "Am I hurting you?"

Smiling, Mina shook her head, "Give me more."

The sentence must have shocked the hell out of him, because his claws slid forward at an alarming rate, slicing the mattress beneath them. "You asked for it," he breathed, before launching a full-on attack on her body. His mouth, hands, and heat were everywhere at once, scratching, nipping, sucking on all the skin they could get at. Mina sighed in pleasure, pulling him down to rest move of his weight upon her. With a sighed, he allowed it, his claws sliding back into the skin of his knuckles.

Logan's hips began to pump hard, thrusting the hard length of his arousal into her. With each movement, he paused, rolling his hips in a circular twist that struck some throbbing part her opening. She caught the motion, groaning as the pleasure rolled into her. Logan pushed her higher and harder over the next few minutes, until she thought they would surely lose shape and melt together in a hot, sweating pile of skin. And still, he would not stop. In fact, he only moved harder, faster, growling softly in her ear.

In one smooth gesture, he rolled back to sit on his heels, dragging her hips forward and up so that her back arched up high enough that she had to curl her neck forward. He used his grip on her hips to full her forward as he thrust, ensuring that each motion hit just right. Ripples edged over her rib cage, dipping between her thighs only to grow into hard, heavy pulses. There was a long, low moan coming from somewhere in the room. With only a mild embarrassment, Mina realized that it was her voice echoing off the walls. Logan called out as well, slowing to a stop. He guided her hips down and himself out, dropping to her side.

Mina breathing short, unintelligible words to him as he kissed her a final time.

"I know," was all he said in return, "I know."

**There are only two chapters left, as I only planned 18 and an epilogue. Let me know what you think. Its been a while since I've written anything of the citrus variety.**


	18. Chapter 18

***Hides behind plate of cookies* Sooooooo, sorry for both the length of time between the last chapter and this posting as well as the abruptness of the ending. I really did try to make this longer and perhaps move into another section, but I knew if I did that I was moving into sequel territory, and this next part of the story is probably best written when I have the creative energy to devote to whole other story about Mina and Logan. **

Mina awoke luxuriously from one of the finest night's sleep she'd ever had. Cocooned in a mess of tangled sheets and wrapped in the embrace of a snoring Logan, she was reluctant to move. However, the sun was peeking gently through the curtains, and she knew sleep probably wasn't going to happen.

Using whatever shadow she could call upon, Mina slipped from the bed and padded to the bathroom. As she flipped on the lights, she startled herself with her appearance. Her hair was a snarled mess and there were multiple marks shaped suspiciously like Logan's teeth along her torso, her skin also creased with sleep.

Shaking her head, she turned on the shower, testing the temperature before stepping in. The heat of the water soothed sore muscles as she set to work cleaning and untangling her hair. Lathering up a washcloth, she sloughed off the dried sweat from her shoulders, hips, thighs, and breasts, lingering over the memories of the previous night.

Logan, she found, had an almost insatiable appetite once he got started. Twice, he'd woke her up during the night—once with teasing touches along her thighs, and once with not so teasing licks between. She remembered the way he whispered her name, groaned it, yelled it. There was nothing about the night that wasn't absolutely perfect. Mina smiled into the stream of water from the faucet, her happiness momentarily overwhelming.

"What're you thinking about?"

Mina jumped, spying Logan leaning against the counter, still naked. "You, why?"

Stepping forward, he nudged her to the side and stepped into the shower with her.

"Because," he said lowly, "I've never seen you smile like that. You looked…very happy."

"I am very happy, Logan. _You_ make me very happy."

They washed each other, alternating to stand under the spray. Mina washed his back, hugging him from behind and sighing into his skin. She wanted to remember this moment for the rest of her life—a moment of pure happiness that far surpassed any other in her young life.

When the water started to get cold, they toweled off and dressed before making their way down to the kitchen for breakfast. While Logan worked at the stove, Mina watched him, completely enthralled by every movement he made. It hit her square in the chest that she loved this man, even with all his gruffness and idiosyncrasies. She loved his smile, his voice, his protection. She loved his rough exterior, his not so rough interior. She loved Logan, body and soul.

With some sense of embarrassment, Mina realized that she was crying. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks, but not before she saw Logan's back tense as he scented the air.

"I'm not crying," she said, cursing his animal senses for the first time. "I'm just a little weepy."

Logan set down the spatula and looked at her over his shoulder, "Last I checked, weeping was right next to crying in the thesaurus."

Mina rolled her eyes, "I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed."

"Mina," Logan intoned, striding to her, "What is it?"

Sighing, she hugged him, "I'm fine, really. I've just had a startling epiphany. An overwhelming epiphany."

His body tensed in her hands, resembling the steel in his bones. "Mind telling me about this epiphany?"

Looking up at him, Mina grinned, "I'm…incredibly in love with you. It's kind of new for me."

Logan blinked, "It's new for me, too." He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Whole lotta new going on 'round here."

Giggling, Mina replied, "That's okay. We'll learn together."

They spend the rest of the weekend alternating between making love and spending time working on potential lessons for the potential members of the X-men. All the while, Mina waited impatiently for the word to be handed down from the Professor on whether or not she would be included.

After three months of deliberation, Mina stood before the Professor, anxious and sweating. He gestured for her to sit, but she shook her head sharply. "I'll stand, thank you."

"Very well," Professor X said. "As you know, I have been thinking over this decision carefully, and I have reached a decision. Mina, I cannot allow you to be a part of the X-men proper. Logan, if anything, has grown even more protective of you. I cannot risk him losing control in a critical situation, and I cannot risk him being distracted while on a mission. I'm sorry."

Mina blinked back tears, waiting for him to continue or dismiss her.

He leaned forward on his hands, "However, your work with the students is showing remarkable progress. They are becoming a team, working together and protecting each other. I would like for your prep classes to continue, if you are amenable to the idea."

Sighing, Mina looked past the professor out the window that faced the front of the building. The winter was abating and there were buds on the trees. The entrance to hers and Logan's obstacle course had grown over. They would need to find new paths.

"Okay, but if I'm training them, I'll need to know what they're training for. I want to monitor the missions, hands-on and active. I don't want to be left out of the loop."

He smiled, "You drive a hard bargain."

"Not really," she quipped dryly. "Just making logical decision based on foreknowledge and deduction. It's a good bargain, Professor, I would take it."

The professor sat back in his wheelchair, "I suppose I have no choice but to do so."

Mina allowed her lips to curve into an answering smile, "Great. Now, if that's all, I've got to meet Logan for lunch."

Stepping out of the office, Mina caught sight of Logan striding towards her down the hall. He looked so different from the Logan she'd met on her first day at the school. His demeanor had softened some, and his smile reached his eyes.

"So?" He urged.

Mina shook her head, "It's a no-go, but I'm free to continue training the kids—with some conditions. I'll be monitoring your missions, just to see what they're all about."

Logan placed comforting hands on her shoulders, "I'm sorry, Mina. I know how much you wanted this."

She shook her head again, "I'm okay, really. Besides, now I get to be with you during the missions, instead of worrying in my room."

Logan wrapped an arm around her waist. "So, lunch?"

"Yes, please," Mina replied. "I have class with a new batch of trainees today. I think I'll need to keep my strength up."

Logan chuckled, "If they give you any trouble, I'll set 'em straight."

"I can see it now," Mina said conspiratorially, "Mr. Logan makes the newbies pee their pants for irking his teacher-slash-girlfriend."

"Damn right!"

**Okay, so that's the end. I want to thank everyone for sticking with me on this and hope you will all be there for my next story. If you're a fan of True Blood, you'll be very excited. XD**

Closet Adventuralist.


End file.
